HUD Archives: News Releases

HUD AWARDS $7.9 MILLION TO PROTECT MASSACHUSETTS CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS
Funding to make low-income housing safer and healthier

BOSTON - The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $7,944,051 to protect children and families living in the cities of Boston, Lynn and Malden 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."

The City of Boston Neighborhood Development is awarded $2,375,000 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program funds and $100,000 in additional funds to promote healthy homes initiatives to continue a pilot program to address multiple housing related health hazards simultaneously. The services include but are not limited to integrated pest management, indoor air quality improvement, fall and trip hazards, assessment of water infiltration and moisture problems and other strategies developed through the prior HPHC Healthy Homes grant awards. The program will evaluate homes for lead paint and hazards and will eliminate lead hazards in 175 homes; conduct outreach and education to at least 25,000 people and provide training to 90 individuals. The City of Boston will partner with Boston Public Health Commission and Suffolk County Housing Court in this program. For more information on Boston's grant contact: Richard O'Brien, Assistant Director, (617) 635-0228.

The City of Lynn is awarded $2,369,051 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program funds and $100,000 in additional funds to promote and develop healthy homes interventions. The program will evaluate 125 homes for lead paint and hazards; eliminate lead hazards in 100 homes; conduct outreach and education to reach at least 4,000 individuals; and provide training to 20 low and moderate income residents in the field of lead paint abatement or soil remediation. The City of Lynn will be partnering with Lynn Housing Authority and Development (LHAND) and The Community Minority Cultural Center (CMCC) in this program. For more information on Lynn's grant contact: Donald Walker, (781) 586-6778.

The Malden Redevelopment Authority-City of Malden, Massachusetts, is awarded $3,000,000 in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant program funds to evaluate homes for lead paint hazards, eliminate hazards in 210 homes, conduct outreach and education and provide training to individuals. The Malden Redevelopment Authority will partner with Cambridge Public Health Department, Tri-City Community Action Program, JHR Environmental Testing Co, and Residential Inspectional Services Inc. For more information on Malden's grant contact: Stephen Michael Wishoski, Executive Director, (781) 324-5720.

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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