HUD ANNOUNCES $143 MILLION IN GRANTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM DANGEROUS LEAD AND OTHER HOME HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS
Concord, San Diego, Esperanza, Silver Lake Research Awarded Funding

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded nearly $143 million in
grants to dozens of state and local communities, public health organizations and scientific research institutions to
help protect children and families from dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards. The
funding announced today is expected to reduce or eliminate lead exposure in more than 10,500 homes nationally,
and reduce levels of allergy-inducing substances in more than 780 homes. Lead is a known toxin that can impair children's development and may even cause death at high levels.

"Today, we are making our homes safer and healthier places in which to raise our children," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. "In particular, HUD is awarding these grants as part of our commitment to help communities eliminate childhood lead poisoning by 2010."

HUD and two of its federal agency partners, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, operate the National Lead Information Clearinghouse, where parents, property owners, and other members of the public can get information about lead hazards and their prevention. The Clearinghouse has a
toll free number, (800) 424-LEAD, and a web site, both of which provide information in English and Spanish.

The City of Concord will be awarded up to $1,389,228 under the Lead Hazard Control program to perform lead
hazard control activities in 60 housing units. This award will be complemented by $673,825 in local matching funds. Numerous community and faith-based organizations, in particular, the Monument Community Partnership, will assist
in reaching the goals under this program. Contact: Mrs. Amy Hodgett, (925) 671-3325.

The City of San Diego will be awarded up to $999,913 under the Healthy Homes Demonstration program to enroll
225 families with a child under the age of six or pregnant women (owner-occupied or rental units with low-or very low-income families) in 83 high-risk census tracts in the City of San Diego, CA. The project team will evaluate health and safety hazards in the homes using an environmental checklist and visual assessment. After the evaluation, they will develop a remediation plan and collect baseline health data. Remediation costs will range from $250-$5,000 per unit and may include minor to substantial repairs, carpet replacement, specialized cleaning, Integrated Pest Management treatments, and mold abatement and as well as the provision of cleaning kits, allergy mattress/pillow covers and injury prevention supplies. Contact: Mr. Alan Johanns, (858) 573-1262.

Esperanza Community Housing Corporation (Esperanza) will be awarded up to $400,000 to continue the community of Los Angeles' successful Lead Outreach Program. The program will contact and educate 4,800 households, hold 182 neighborhood and building meetings, and refer 160 units to the City's Lead Hazard Reduction Program. It will also design and maintain a lead outreach website. The expected outcome is educational contacts
to protect 2,400 children under age six in low-income minority households in the City of Los Angeles. Contact: Ms.
Nancy Halpern Ibrahim, Executive Director, (213) 748-7285.

The Silver Lake Research Corporation will be awarded up to $471,116 under the Lead Technical Studies program
to develop a rapid, on-site test kit for the accurate determination of lead-based paint (LBP) in accordance with the test kit criteria in the EPA's proposed lead renovation, repair, and painting rule. The proposed test kit will be based
on the existing immunoassay strip test for lead in water (the Watersafeâ Lead Test.) The test kit will be designed
to complete independent validation in accordance with the proposed EPA rule, require minimal user training, not require any instrumentation, take 15 minutes, and cost the end-user less than $3 per test. Contact: Dr. Mark Geisberg, Director R&D, (626) 358-8441.

The following is a breakdown of the funding announced today:

HUD grants will help 65 state and local projects around the country to conduct a wide range of activities including cleaning up lead-based paint hazards and improving living conditions of lower income families. Through these six
grant programs, HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control promotes local efforts to eliminate
dangerous lead and other hazards from lower income homes; stimulates private sector investment in lead hazard control; educates the public about the dangers of lead-based paint; and supports scientific research into
innovative methods to identify and eliminate health hazards in housing. A complete project-by-project summary
of the programs awarded grants today can be found on HUD's website.

Lead Hazard Control Grant Programs

Even though lead-based paint was banned for use in the home in 1978, HUD estimates approximately 24 million
homes still have significant lead-based paint hazards today. Lead-contaminated dust is the primary cause of lead exposure and can lead to a variety of health problems in young children including reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, reduced height, and impaired hearing. At higher levels, lead can damage a child's kidneys and central nervous system and cause anemia, coma, convulsions and even death.

The funding announced today includes $131 million to cities, counties and states to eliminate dangerous lead paint hazards in thousands of privately owned, low-income housing units. These funds are provided through HUD's Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and the Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant programs. HUD will also award $1.2 million in Lead Outreach grants for public education campaigns on what parents, building owners and others can do
to protect children. Further, $3.5 million will assist research to study methods to reduce the cost and increase the effectiveness of lead hazard control strategies.

Healthy Homes Initiative

A variety of preventable health and safety hazards threaten children every year. The funding announced today includes nearly $5 million in demonstration grants to identify and eliminate housing conditions that contribute to children's disease and injury, such as asthma, mold exposure, and carbon monoxide contamination. HUD is also investing $2 million to support scientific research into new ways of identifying and eliminating health hazards in housing.

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HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities;
creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the
Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

The following is a state-by-state breakdown of the funding announced today:

* HHD - Healthy Homes Demonstration Grant Program
HHTS - Healthy Homes Technical Studies Grant Program
LBPHC - Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program
LHRD - Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration
LOR - Lead Outreach Grant Program
LTS - Lead Technical Studies Grant Program