HUD AWARDS $2.4 MILLION TO PROTECT VERMONT CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS
Funding to make low-income housing safer and healthier

BURLINGTON - The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $2,475,000 to protect children and families living in Vermont from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards.

The grant funding announced today is part of $93 million HUD is awarding nationwide to clean up lead and other
health hazards in nearly 7,000 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 occupants," said HUD Regional Administrator Barbara Fields. "This grant will help Vermont communities protect families from lead exposure and other significant health and safety hazards."

The City of Burlington Community & Economic Development Office is awarded $2,375,000 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program $100,000 in additional funds to promote healthy homes initiatives funds to assist in the promotion and development of State and local programs to address multiple housing-related health hazards simultaneously to reduce significant health and safety hazards in the home done in conjunction with lead hazard control activities. The program will evaluate 135 homes for lead paint and hazards, eliminate lead hazards in 135 homes; conduct outreach and education people through presentations, events, meetings, direct mail and provide training to individuals in lead and healthy housing. The City of Burlington will be partnering with WIC clinics, the Burlington and Winooski Housing Authorities, weatherization and energy programs, hoarding taskforce partners, and resettlement and refugee organizations, Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA), Chittenden Community Television in this program. For more information on Burlington's grant contact: Brian Pine, Assistant Director for Housing, (802)865-7232, bpine@ci.burlington.vt.us.

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. 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.

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, more than $4 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.

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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 http://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.