HUD AWARDS $4.9 MILLION IN GRANTS TO PROTECT NEW HAMPSHIRE CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS
Funding to make low-income housing safer and healthier

BOSTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $4,960,000 in grants to two local projects in New Hampshire to conduct a wide range of activities intended to protect children and families from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards.

The grant funding announced today will clean up lead and other health hazards in 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 residents," said HUD New England Regional Administrator Barbara Fields. "These grants will help New Hampshire communities to protect families from lead exposure and other significant health and safety hazards."

"With these grant awards, HUD makes it clear that providing healthy and safe homes for families and children is a priority," said Jon Gant, Director of HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. "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 our efforts to help make the nation's housing healthy and sustainable."

New Hampshire Grant Summaries:

The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority will be awarded $2,300,000 in Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and $180,000 in healthy homes supplemental funding for the identification and reduction of lead and healthy homes hazards in 245 housing units. The New Hampshire Housing Finance will partner with Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties Inc, Southern NH Services, Rockingham CAP, Southwestern Community Services, Strafford CAP and Tri County CAP, NH Department of Health and Human Services Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, NH Healthy Homes Steering Committee, the Way Home, and Breathe NH, the Cities of Dover, Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth, and Rochester, Tohn Environmental, and Kirkwood Consulting.

The City of Nashua will be awarded $2,300,000 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and $180,000 in healthy homes supplemental funding for the identification and reduction of lead and healthy homes hazards in 130 housing units. The City of Nashua will partner with the City of Nashua's Division of Public Health & Community Services, Code Enforcement Department and School District, Southern New Hampshire Services, Inc., Nashua Housing Authority, New Hampshire's Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority, and Triangle Credit Union.

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. HUD is also providing over $5.3 million to help communities transform their lead hazard control programs to address multiple housing-related hazards.

Grant program abbreviations are as follows:

LBPHC - Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program
(includes Healthy Homes Initiative supplemental funding, as applicable)

LHRD - Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program

The following is a breakdown of the funding announced today in New Hampshire:

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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 at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD. or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.

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