MARTINEZ ANNOUNCES $147 MILLION TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES FROM DANGEROUS LEAD AND OTHER HOME HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS
Record funding kicks off October as National Healthy Homes Month

DES MOINES, IA - Thousands of children and families in 27 states and the District of Columbia will live in healthier homes due to more than $147 million in grants announced today by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez. Martinez made today's record funding announcement to officially launch National Healthy Homes Month during October.

The grants will help 70 local programs around the country to remove potentially dangerous lead from lower income homes; to stimulate private sector investment in lead hazard control; to educate the public about the dangers of lead-based paint; to fund model programs promoting healthier and safer home environments; and, to support
scientific research into innovative methods of identifying and eliminating health hazards in housing.

"Whether it's eliminating lead hazards in housing or studying new ways to make our homes healthier, the funds we announce today are all designed to protect our most precious resource - our children," said Martinez. "Today we continue HUD's investment in making our homes a healthier and safer place for parents to raise their kids."

Lead Hazard Control Grant Programs

The funding announced today includes $124 million 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.

In Iowa, the City of Dubuque will be awarded $2,417,399 to conduct lead-based paint hazard reduction in 255
housing units. This program will be jointly administered by the Dubuque Health Service and Housing Community Development Department and will continue the City's lead-based paint hazard reduction program by providing comprehensive public education campaign aimed at teaching property owners, tenants and maintenance and remodeling contractors how to provide and maintain lead-safe dwellings. Additionally, area contractors will be certified, trained and provided economic incentives to further their businesses and their skills in the area of lead hazard reduction. Local partners include the Visiting Nurse Association, local neighborhood associations and area housing providers. The City of Dubuque will provide $608,145 in matching funds.

The City of Waterloo's Community Development Department will be awarded $2,105,800 to provide lead-based paint hazard control intervention services in 120 eligible low-income privately owned housing units in the city. The Lead Program will target the city's high-risk target areas, which include portions of Census Tracts 7, 8 and 18. The Black Hawk County Department of Health will provide risk assessment/paint inspection services to assess homes for lead-based paint hazards. An extensive community education and outreach plan to support program efforts will include videotapes of lead safe work practices, marketing, public service announcements, mailings, radio talk shows and contacts with Neighborhood Associations. The City of Waterloo will contribute $3,752,811 in matching funds.

HUD's lead hazard control program is working. Today, the Department estimates that 26 million fewer homes have lead-based paint compared to 1990 when the program began. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the average amount of lead in children's blood has declined by 50 percent from a decade ago. Ten years ago, there was no federal funding for local lead hazard control work in privately owned housing;
today, the HUD program is active in over 250 communities across the country.

The following is a breakdown of the funding announced today:

Lead Hazard Control	$74,440,466
Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration	$49,675,000
Operation LEAP	$9,935,000
Lead Outreach	$2,402,972
Healthy Homes Demonstration	$5,916,355
Healthy Homes Technical Studies	$2,009,272
Lead Technical Studies	$2,874,123
Total	$147,253,188

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

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