HUD HOLDS ITS FIRST INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT FORUM
Cornell University pest expert shares science-based practices for pest control

(l to r) Carol Payne, Director of HUD's Baltimore Field Office; Fran Allen, District Director for Representative Elijah Cummings (7th Cong. District); and Donna Binder, Senior Project Manager, HUD's Baltimore Field Office.

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Baltimore Field Office gathered 180 state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, and health care providers on December 4 in Baltimore, MD, to discuss science-based methods for eradicating and preventing pests in affordable housing.

In close partnership with Cornell University, HUD held its first Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Forum to help provide solutions to the pest problems facing its housing and community development partners.

"HUD sponsored this forum to begin the process of eliminating pests in HUD-supported multifamily properties," said Carol Payne, Director of HUD's Baltimore Field Office. "Our goal is to maintain a clean and healthy living environment for the residents."

HUD allocates funding to agencies, property owners, and organizations to subsidize affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. This forum provided best practices and federal guidance related to the elimination of bed bugs, mice, and other vermin in HUD-assisted properties.

Held at the University of Maryland SMC Center, Cornell University science educator Allison Taisey presented the IPM approach, which focuses on preventive measures-getting at the root of the problem before an infestation occurs and involving everyone who lives and works on the property.

Cornell University receives federal funding from an interagency agreement between HUD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bring integrated pest management to affordable housing across the country.

The forum was a collaborative effort between HUD's Baltimore Field Office and its Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control.

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