New Lead Paint Law Is Forcing Me to Put Up Siding, But I’m Broke

Hey everyone, I’m in Rhode Island and recently got hit with the new lead-based paint law that’s making it harder for landlords like me to rent out older homes. I own a multi-family property, and I was told I now need to either abate the lead paint or install new siding in order to rent legally, especially if I want to rent to Section 8.

Problem is, I’m broke. Like seriously. I’ve been scraping by doing Uber and side jobs just to pay the mortgage. Now I’m being told I need to spend thousands on siding just to keep things legal. I don’t have that kind of money lying around.

Anyone else in the same boat? Has anyone found a cheaper workaround or got help with this? I’m open to hearing anything, grants, loans, DIY tips, community programs, whatever. I’m not trying to cut corners, I just want to survive this without going into debt or losing the property.