HUD AWARDS $11.5 MILLION TO PROTECT CALIFORNIA'S CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS
Funding to make low-income housing safer and healthier

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $11.5 million to protect children and families living in five California vicinities from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards.

The grant funding announced today is part of $93 million HUD is awarding nationwide to clean up lead and other
health hazards in nearly 7,000 high-risk homes, train workers in lead safety methods, and increase public awareness about childhood lead poisoning. Lead is a known toxin that can impair children's development and have effects lasting into adulthood.

"Protecting the health and well-being of children is a top priority for HUD. We know that housing conditions directly affect the health of its occupants," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "These grants will help communities around the nation to protect families from lead exposure and other significant health and safety hazards."

FIVE AWARDED CALIFORNIA VICINITIES:

The City of Fresno Development and Resource Management will be awarded $2,375,000 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program funds to continue its Fresno Lead Paint program and $100,000 for the promotion of healthy housing. The program will evaluate homes for lead paint and hazards, eliminate lead hazards in 140 homes; conduct outreach and education through the local media, e-mail blasts, newsletters, collaborative meetings and neighborhood/community meetings and provide training to 12 individuals in lead-safe work practices through its partnership with the Housing Authorities, the City will engage 2 Section-3 participants to provide training and sustainable employment. The City of Fresno will be partnering with Fresno County Economic Opportunities
Commission, Fresno County Health Department, Fresno Interdenominational Refugees Ministry, Centro La Familia,
West Fresno Health Coalition and other Community Based Organizations in this program. Contact: Mrs.Claudia
Cazares, Manager, (559) 621-8356, claudia.cazares@fresno.gov.

The County of Alameda Community Development Agency will be awarded $2,034,863 in Lead Based Paint
Hazard Control Grant Program funds and $100,000 in healthy homes initiative funding to identify and address lead
and healthy homes hazards in 200 homes. They will conduct outreach and education to reach at least 2060 people through various community outreach actvities; and provide training to 466 individuals in the cities of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, and Emeryville. The County of Alameda will be partnering with Oakland's Youth Employment Partnership, Rental Housing Association of Northern Alameda County, and the Oakland Housing Authority in this program. Contact: Mr.Mark Allen, Director, (510) 567-8287, mark.allen@acgov.org.

The City of Pomona Community Development Department will be awarded $2,375,000 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program funds and $100,000 in additional funds to integrate healthy homes interventions into housing. The program will evaluate 240 homes for lead paint and hazards; eliminate lead hazards in 240 homes; conduct outreach and education to reach at least 7500 people through partnerships with governmental, grassroots, faith-based, and community-based organizations; and provide training to 110 individuals in lead-safe work practices. The City of Pomona will be partnering with LA County CLPPP, Inland Valley Hope Partners, Pomona Unified School District- Child Development/Head Start, From the Heart Church Ministries, CDPH trainers, Western University of Health Sciences, LA Urban League Workforce Center, and CA State Univ. Polytech in this program. Contact: Ms. Beverly Johnson, Housing Grants Administrator, (909) 620-2433, beverly_johnson@ci.pomona.ca.us.

The City and County of San Francisco, Mayor's Office of Housing will be awarded $3,000,000 in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program funds to evaluate homes for lead paint and hazards, eliminate lead hazards in 150 homes; conduct outreach and education through health fairs, Head Start presentations, and testing and vaccination clinics and provide training to individuals in grassroots community organizations, such as Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, Bay Area Legal Aid, Causa Justa Just Cause, the Tenderloin Housing Clinic for tenants, the San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, and Asian Inc. Contact: Ms. Sonia Delgado-Schaumberg, Housing Rehab Programs Manager, (415) 701-5540, Sonia.delgado-schaumberg@sfgov.org.

The City of South Lake Tahoe Development Services Department will be awarded $1,900,000 in Lead Based
Paint Hazard Control Grant Program funds and $100,000 in additional funds to promote healthy homes. The program will evaluate 230 homes for lead paint and hazards; eliminate lead hazards and provide healthy homes interventions
in 126 homes; conduct 24 outreach and education events to reach at least 2,000 people; and provide training to 25 individuals. The City of South Lake Tahoe will be partnering with Barton Memorial Hospitable, Environmental Inspections, Environmental Lead Detect, St. Joseph Community Land trust in this program. Contact: Mr. Phil Brand, Lead Safe Tahoe Program Coordinator, (530) 542-6158, pbrand@cityofslt.us.

With these grant awards, HUD makes it clear that providing healthy and safe homes for families and children is a priority. It's simple: you can't be healthy if your home is sick. HUD is committed to protecting children from these hazards, as part of the Department's effort to help make the nation's housing healthy and sustainable.

Through these grant programs, HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead hazards from lower income homes; stimulates private sector investment in lead hazard control; and educates the public about the dangers of lead-based paint.

Lead Hazard Control Grant Programs

Even though lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, HUD estimates that 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 directs critical funds 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 Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant programs. To expand the reach of HUD's Lead Hazard Control Program, more than $4 million of this funding will support new grantees. HUD is also providing nearly $2.3 million to help communities transform their lead hazard control programs to address multiple housing-related hazards.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.