HUD Archives: News Releases

CUOMO AWARDS $3.1 MILLION TO PROTECT HEALTH OF CLEVEAND AREA FAMILIES

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today awarded a $3.1 million grant to help protect low-income families in the Cleveland, Ohio area from bleeding lung disease, lead poisoning and other illnesses caused by mold and moisture in their homes.

The grant to the Cuyahoga County Department of Development will remove mold and excess moisture from 170 houses and apartments in Cleveland and surrounding Cuyahoga County, and will provide 75 homes with environmental screening and information on mold and moisture prevention.

An accumulation of mold and excess moisture in homes has been linked to cases of allergies, asthma, bleeding lung disease and poisoning by toxic byproducts. Mold and moisture also often cause paint peeling, creating lead hazards in homes that can cause lead poisoning in children.

"Hidden dangers can turn homes into health hazards," Cuomo said. "Eliminating these hazards and creating healthy homes will prevent illnesses and save lives."

The mold Stachybotrys has been implicated in the deaths of 15 infants in Cuyahoga County since 1994. The same mold is suspected of causing the deaths of two Chicago area infants and 13 non-fatal cases of bleeding lung disease there since 1992.

The Cuyahoga County Department of Development will collaborate in the program with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and Case Western Reserve University.

The competitive grant program will also provide economic opportunity for local business and jobs for low-income people.

Content Archived: January 20, 2009