HUD AWARDS NEARLY $18 MILLION TO NEW YORK STATE TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS
Funding to make low-income housing safer and healthier

NEW YORK - The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $17,609,546 in grants to New York City and five upstate communities 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. (A listing of grantees and project descriptions is below.)

"Protecting the health, and indeed the futures, of our children is a top priority for HUD. We cannot allow children to be poisoned in their own homes," 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."

HUD Regional Administrator Adolfo Carrión added: "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. There are far too many 'sick homes' in our communities, and these funds will target the worst of those homes. 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."

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $127 million. The grant funding announced today will clean up lead and other health hazards in more than 11,000 homes nationwide, 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. Other materials in the home can trigger allergic responses and asthma.

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

Through these grants, 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.

Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control Grant Programs

Even though lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, HUD estimates that approximately 24 million homes nationwide 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 includes more than $114 million 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 $13 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. Finally, HUD will award $10 million in Healthy Homes Production grant funds to address housing-related health hazards, such as accidental injury, mold and moisture, and carbon monoxide poisoning, through direct improvements that affect the health of children and elderly adults.

###

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.

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS
Lead Hazard Control Grant Programs

The Broome County Health Department, Binghamton, NY will receive $2,100,000 in Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Initiative funds to assist with the prevention of childhood lead poisoning and the control of lead hazards in low-income housing in Broome County. The County will evaluate 140 homes for lead hazards and healthy homes eliminate lead hazards in 100 homes conduct 45 outreach events and education for 225 people and provide training to 288 individuals. The Broome County Health Department will partner with Tioga Opportunities, Broome County Urban League, Mothers & Babies Prenatal Network, Family & Children's Society, Southern Tier Independence Center and American Civic Association in this program. Contact: Sarah Walker, Public Health Educator, LPP Program Coordinator, (607) 778-2809 or email (mailto:swalker@co.broome.ny.us).

The County of Westchester, White Plains, NY will receive $1,749,639 in Lead Hazard Control Grant funds to continue providing services to reduce lead-based paint hazards throughout the County and implement a new marketing campaign with additional activities to attract more property owners. The County will evaluate 230 homes for lead hazards, eliminate lead hazards in 215 homes, conduct outreach and education for 5 events, and provide training to 50 individuals. The County of Westchester will partner with AHOME, Housing Action Council, Human Development Services of Westchester, Preservation Company & Community Development and County of Westchester-Department of Health in this program. Contact: Norma V. Drummond, Deputy Commissioner, (919) 995-2427 or email (mailto:Nvvl@westchestergov.com).

Onondaga County, Syracuse, NY will receive $3,100,000 in Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and supplemental Healthy Homes initiative funding. These funds will be used for education and outreach, reduce lead based paint hazards in 175 units within the 36-month grant period. The County will evaluate 220 homes for lead hazards, conduct outreach and education for 40,000 people, and provide training to 60 individuals. Onondaga County will partner with: P.E.A.C.E. Inc., InterFaith Works, and Central/Eastern NY Lead Poisoning Resource Center in this program. Contact: Nina Andon-McLane (315) 435-3794 or email (mailto:NinaAndon-Mclane@ongov.net).

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS
Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration

The New York Department of Housing and Preservation Development, New York, NY will receive $4,500,000 in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration funds to reduce lead hazards in three of the City's most at-risk neighborhoods in the boroughs of Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. The New York City HPD will evaluate 450 homes for lead hazards, eliminate lead hazards in 300 homes, conduct outreach and education for 300 events, and provide training to 100 individuals. The New York HPD will also partner with Brooklyn Housing and Family Services and Belmont Arthur Avenue, LDC in this program. Contact: Thomas O'Hagan, Program Director, (212) 863-6389 or email (mailto:toh@hpd.nyc.gov).

The City of Schenectady, NY will receive $3,212,641 in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant funds to conduct education and outreach activities to create an awareness of lead hazard control and lead poisoning prevention. The City will evaluate 250 homes for lead hazards, eliminate lead hazards in 225 homes, conduct outreach and education for 2,000 people, and provide training to 30 individuals. The City of Schenectady will partner with Schenectady County Public Health Services, Ellis Hospital's Family Health/Pediatric Center, New York State Department of Health, ATC Associates, and Community Land Trust of Schenectady, Better Neighborhoods, Inc. and Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady County in this program. Contact: Elonda D. Mackey, Program Manager, (518) 382-5058 or email (mailto:emackey@schenectadyny.gov).

The City of Syracuse, NY will receive $2,947,266 in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration funds to perform lead remediation in 300 units, to provide lead poisoning education through 118 events and to disseminate educational materials to over 36,000 residents. Lead safe work practices training will be provided to 100 individuals. The City of Syracuse will also partner with Home HeadQuarters, Empire Housing and Development Corporation, and the Syracuse Model Neighborhood Corporation in this effort. Contact: Betsy Mokrzycki, Syracuse Lead Program Manager, (315) 448-8710 or email (mailto:bmokrzycki@ci.syracuse.ny.us).