BOSTON – In a continuous effort to keep families and their children safe from lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded more than $4.4 million in Massachusetts to the Cities of Brockton, Malden and Somerville.
The grant funding announced today will reduce the number of children with elevated blood lead levels, and protect families living in homes with significant lead and other home health and safety hazards. HUD’s Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant programs have a proven history of success, filling critical needs in communities where no other resources exist to address substandard housing that threatens the health of the most vulnerable residents. With HUD celebrating June’s National Healthy Homes Month, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said he wants to make lead paint hazard removal a top priority.
“Children perform better at school and in life if they live in a healthy home,” said Secretary Carson. “A healthy start at home translates to a successful life outside of the home. HUD is committed to working with local communities to eradicate lead paint poisoning to make sure our homes are safe and ensure positive outcomes for families and their kids.”
“Millions of families and children are seeing their hope for the future threatened by poor health simply because of where they live,” noted Jon L. Gant, Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. “This round of funding includes awards to eight cities that are receiving grant awards for the first time. We are pleased the program is expanding into these previously unserved communities.”
City of Somerville
The City of Somerville will be awarded more than $1.7 million in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant program funding. The City will address lead hazards in 90 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The City will partner with the Cambridge Health Alliance, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Somerville Public School system, SomerViva, the Somerville Office on Disabilities and Compliance and the Somerville Commission for Disabilities Inclusion. Contact Person: Mr. Michael Feloney at 617-625-6600, ext. 2565 and [email protected].
City of Brockton
The City of Brockton will be awarded more than $1.17 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and $188,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The city will address lead hazards in 105 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The city will work with the Brockton Health Department, the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Self Help Incorporated, the Childhood Lead Poison Prevention Program, MassHousing, the Brockton Redevelopment Authority, the Cape Verdean Association, Haitian Community Partners, the Brockton Housing Partnership. Contact Person: Mr. Robert Jenkins at 508-586-3887 and [email protected].
Malden Redevelopment Authority
The Malden Redevelopment Authority will be awarded more than $1.17 million in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and $188,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The authority will address lead hazards in 150 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The authority will partner with the Malden Board of Health, Malden Housing Authority, Action for Boston Community Development, the Immigrant Learning Center, Kyran Research Associates, JHR Environment Testing and Titan Lead Testing. Contact Person: Ms. Deborah Burke at 781-324-5720 and [email protected].
Unsafe and unhealthy homes affect the health of millions of people of all income levels, geographic areas, and walks of life in the U.S. These homes affect the economy directly through increased utilization of health care services, and indirectly through lost wages and increased school days missed. Housing improvements help prevent injuries and illnesses, reduce associated health care and social services costs, reduce absentee rates for children in school and adults at work, and reduce stress—all which help to improve the quality of life.
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards from lower income homes; encourages private sector investment in lead hazard control; supports cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educates the public about the dangers of hazards in the home.
The funding announced today directs critical funds to cities, counties and states to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards in thousands of privately-owned, low-income housing units. As part of these awards, HUD is providing these Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grantees just over $14 million in Healthy Homes supplemental funding to help communities throughout the country mitigate multiple health hazards in high-risk housing simultaneously, in conjunction with their lead hazard control activities.
