CUOMO ANNOUNCES $4.5 MILLION IN GRANTS TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND SAFETY IN LOW-INCOME HOUSING

Full description of grants

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today awarded $4.5 million in grants to protect families in low-income housing from health and safety hazards.

The Healthy Homes Initiative grants were awarded to:

• City of Long Beach, CA --- $495,472
• City of Providence, RI --- $1,039,204
• Boston Medical Center Corp. --- $1,918,489
• Medical and Health Research Association of New York City --- $763,421
• Environmental Health Watch of Cleveland, OH ---- $243,414

"Too often, children are injured by hazards in their homes that could be easily eliminated," Cuomo said. "These grants will help remove these hazards, so more children can grow up safe and healthy."

Grant recipients will use HUD funds for activities that include: identifying and removing hazards that create the danger of asthma, lead poisoning and accidental injuries; training neighborhood residents to identify potential hazards in homes; using research data to update housing codes and rehabilitation standards; and training property owners.

HUD's Office of Lead Hazard control received 52 applications for $63.4 million in Healthy Homes grants. Winners were selected competitively based on their ability to develop cost-effective, preventive measures to correct safety and health hazards in homes.

Cuomo launched HUD's Healthy Homes Initiative two years ago as a national effort to distribute information through TV commercials, newspaper ads, brochures and a toll free information line to help parents protect their children from potential hidden dangers in the home.

Cuomo made the announcement at the annual SAFE KIDS Campaign leadership conference. The SAFE KIDS Campaign is a national organization dedicated to the prevention of unintentional childhood injuries. The group educates parents, caregivers and children about safety practices through public outreach and awareness campaigns. It has worked with local SAFE KIDS coalitions to distribute close to 1 million bicycle helmets, 500,000 car seats and 100,000 smoke alarms to families in need.

Last year SAFE KIDS received a $397,000 grant from HUD to provide training and technical assistance for the SAFE KIDS AT HOME Initiative, to educate parents about the potential dangers children face in their homes.