NATIONAL HEALTHY HOMES CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Conference to address serious health and safety concerns in housing today

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan will keynote the 2014 National Healthy Homes Conference in Nashville May 28 through 30. Secretary Donovan is joined by former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, Rebuilding Together President and CEO Charley Shimanski, and HGTV's Jack Thomasson as plenary speakers in Nashville.

Secretary Donovan will address the evidence linking health and housing while Cisneros will share his experience and expertise on cost effective solutions to aging in place. Thomasson, who planned and designed HGTV's Smart Home, will speak about state of the art design and energy efficient construction.

"It is clear that unhealthy and unsafe housing has a negative impact on the wellbeing of millions of Americans—a primary reason why we must strive to ensure that individuals and families have a healthy place to call home," said Secretary Donovan. "Quality homes lead to healthier families and communities and we have a collective responsibility to work together on ways to provide them."

The conference, titled Leading the Nation to Healthy Homes, Families and Communities, is co-hosted by Rebuilding Together and HUD and will bring together over 1,000 housing and health professionals from the public and private sectors to share new research and emerging trends, as well as to inform housing policy to help prevent and remediate unhealthy housing conditions.

"I am thrilled to be joining these outstanding leaders at the National Healthy Homes Conference," said Charley Shimanski, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "This is a great opportunity for each of us to share our expertise on healthy housing as we work together to create a safe and healthy home for every person."

The conference features more than 150 sessions and will draw professionals from the public health, housing, safety and environmental communities to collaborate and share ideas for improving the health of the nation's homes and communities. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Thomas Frieden, and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam have also been invited to address conference attendees.

To learn more about the conference, including how to register, visit www.healthyhomesconference.org.

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About the National Healthy Homes Conference:
HUD is partnering with Rebuilding Together, HGTV, and DIY Network to host more than 1,000 national health and safety experts in Nashville May 28-30, at the 2014 National Healthy Homes Conference (NHHC). The Conference will bring together housing and health professionals from the public and private sectors to share new research and emerging trends, as well as to inform housing policy to help prevent and remediate unsafe housing conditions for families. You can find out more information, including how to register, at www.healthyhomesconference.org

About HUD and the Office of Healthy Homes:
The Department of Housing and Urban Development was created by Congress in 1965 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. The mission of HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control is to reduce health and safety hazards in housing in a comprehensive and cost effective manner, with a particular focus on protecting the health of children and other sensitive populations in low-income households; and to eliminate childhood lead poisoning caused by lead-based paint hazards and to address other children's diseases and injuries caused by substandard housing conditions, such as asthma, unintentional injury and carbon monoxide poisoning. To learn more visit www.hud.gov

About Rebuilding Together:
Rebuilding Together is a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home. Our focus provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients. Our impact extends beyond the individuals served to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods and communities across the country. Our 187 local affiliates complete more than 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of 100,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled trades professionals and everyday good citizens. Join us- visit www.RebuildingTogether.org

About HGTV:
America's leading home and lifestyle brand, HGTV features a top-rated cable network that is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and the HGTV website, HGTV.com, the nation's leading online home-and-garden destination that attracts an average of four million unique visitors per month. The brand also includes the HGTV HOME™ consumer products line which showcases exclusive collections of paint, flooring, lighting, furniture, plants, fabrics and other home-oriented products. For more information on HGTV HOME branded products and to find a retailer, go to www.hgtvhome.com. In partnership with Hearst Magazines, the HGTV Magazine, a home and lifestyle publication, is currently available on newsstands. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., HGTV is wholly owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI).

About DIY Network:
DIY Network, from the makers of HGTV and Food Network, is the go-to destination for rip-up, knock-out home improvement television. DIY Network's programs and experts answer the most sought-after questions and offer creative projects for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. One of the fastest growing digital networks and currently in more than 56 million homes, DIY Network's programming covers a broad range of categories, including home improvement and landscaping.

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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 @HUDGov, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.