HUD AWARDS $3.2 MILLION IN GRANTS IN PENNSYLVANIA TO PROTECT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS
Funding to make low-income housing safer and healthier

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development today awarded more than $3.2 million in grants to the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the City of Harrisburg 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 in those respective cities.

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, 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.

"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 Deputy Secretary Ron Sims 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."

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

"Our children are our most precious treasures and deserve a safe and healthy environment where they can thrive and grow," said HUD Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Jane C.W. Vincent. "HUD is investing more than $3.2 million in Pennsylvania to safeguard the health of future generations."

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 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.

For a list of all grants, organized by state, visit HUD's website at: www.hud.gov. The grants for Pennsylvania are listed below:

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health, PA will receive $1,000,000 in Healthy Homes Production grant
funds to target 150 households to prevent and correct significant health and safety hazards and to provide a comprehensive green and healthy homes intervention among Philadelphia's low income housing stock. PDPH will
partner with the William Penn and Wachovia Regional Foundations, the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, Philadelphia Gas Works, Saint Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia Electric Company, and Natural Pest Control. This proposal provides critical resources as PDPH aligns and leverages resources to transition its existing CLPPP to a comprehensive green and healthy homes model. Contact: Donald Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity, (215) 686-9009 or email donald.schwarz@phila.gov.

The City of Harrisburg, PA will receive $2,206,487 in Lead Hazard Control funds to address lead paint hazards in
low-moderate income households with a priority of addressing those dwellings with children with elevated blood lead levels. The City of Harrisburg will evaluate 150 for lead hazards, eliminate lead hazards in 140, conduct outreach and education for 1260 people, and provide training to 27 individuals. The City will partner with Pinnacle Health, Tri
County Housing Development Corp, Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, Community Action Commission, YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, Capital Area Headstart, and Harrisburg Housing Authority in this program. Contact: Jack A. Robinson, Department Director, (717) 255-6636 or email jarobinson@cityofhbg.com.

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