The foremost source of lead in the environments of young children is house paint applied prior to 1978,  when lead paint was banned from consumer use.  The   percentage of units projected to contain lead-based paint is substantially higher in Harris County's urban areas, most notably in older neighborhoods of inner-city Houston.   Since housing in the unincorporated area of Harris County is relatively new, only 31.1% of housing units are likely to contain lead-based paint.

However, lead-based paint is a health risk, especially for children. Approximately 42% of all homes in unincorporated target areas may contain lead-based paint, compared to 58% of all homes in incorporated target areas.   In 2000,  there were an estimated 124,000 housing units within the HCCSD target areas with potential lead-based paint contamination.