HUD Awards Syracuse & Onondaga County Nearly $5.5 Million to Protect Children from Lead and Other Home Hazards

(L-R): Paul Driscoll, Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development, City of Syracuse Betsy Mokrzycki, Program Manager, City of Syracuse Lead Program Joan K. Spilman, Buffalo Field Office Director Ann Rooney, Deputy County executive, Onondaga County

HUD just announced $3 million in funding to the City of Syracuse and $2.48 million to Onondaga County to further its efforts to protect children from lead and other home hazards. The check presentation took place at the Atrium in the City Building. The award to the City and County was part of more than $11 million in grants recently awarded to New York State. Nationwide, HUD awarded $111 million to 43 local projects across the country.

"Lead poisoning is the No. 1 environmental health threat to children and according to state statistics, the primary source of childhood lead poisoning in Syracuse is from exposure to lead paint and dust in homes built before 1978," said Joan Spilman, HUD Buffalo Field Office Director. "The funding announced will play a major role in helping to protect Syracuse children from exposure to lead and other health hazards."

The City of Syracuse was awarded the monies under HUD's Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant program which provides needed funding to cities, counties and states to eliminate dangerous lead paint hazards in privately-owned, low-income housing units. Since its creation in 1994, the Syracuse Lead Program has successfully completed and cleared lead hazards on 2,163 housing units as of December 31, 2011. This grant funding allows the City to target 250 housing units, and it will work with the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, Home HeadQuarters, Empire Housing and Development Corporation, and the Onondaga County Health Department. The properties must house income eligible occupants with children less than six years of age living or regularly visiting the property, or with pregnant women. In addition, the Syracuse Lead Program will assist any qualified homeowners/investors in the City, but in order to reach the most vulnerable individuals in the community, it will concentrate outreach, education and funding towards designated areas in the City of Syracuse Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Plan.

The County of Onondaga was 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 200 housing units across the County. The County has partnered with the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control to reduce lead hazards in homes since 2001, making well over 1,000 homes lead safe. The current grant will be used for education and outreach; testing blood lead levels of children; inspecting and testing homes for identification of lead based paint and other health and safety hazards; and direct lead hazard reduction work. The award will also allow for general repairs to address home health risks beyond those that are posed by lead based paint. The County of Onondaga Community Development Division will continue its partnership with the Onondaga County Health Department Lead Poisoning Control Program and other community based organizations to deliver a number of essential services.

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