EPA Lead Inspector Practice Exam 2025 - Free Lead Inspector Practice Questions and Study Guide

Housing is classified as target housing under HUD guidelines if it was built before 1978. This designation is significant because homes built before this time are more likely to contain lead-based paint and lead hazards, as the use of lead in residential paint was banned in 1978. Target housing includes single-family homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings constructed prior to this cutoff date, making them subject to specific lead regulations and requirements for inspection and remedial action to protect residents, particularly young children and pregnant women, from lead exposure.

The other categories—such as housing built after 1980 or newly constructed homes—are not classified as target housing since they were built after the lead paint ban, greatly reducing the potential for lead presence. Multi-family dwellings are not exclusively targeted either; it's the age of the property that's the key factor for designation as target housing.