City officials took a moment Monday to celebrate the beginning of a historic lead paint removal program paid entirely with a $2.4 million federal lead abatement grant and matching federal Community Development Block Grant funds. “It’s also the first time the city of Haverhill has had its own federal resources ever to deal exclusively with lead paint,” Barrett noted. Lead paint chips are particularly attractive to children because lead paint is sweet. Since receiving the award, the city hired a program manager and trained eight contractors on lead paint removal techniques. The family moved into a hotel Sunday and expect to be there for a week and a half while contractors remove every bit of lead paint and lead paint dust from the family home.