The funding will protect more Americans from lead hazards, improve housing hazard identification and prevention, and expand critical research and services.
Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced more than $420 million in awards across 32 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to remove lead hazards from homes and HUD-assisted properties, ensuring the safety of children, residents, and families. This includes $2 million to remove other housing-related hazards from homes in conjunction with weatherization efforts, and nearly $10 million to facilitate research on better identifying and controlling lead and other housing-related hazards. HUD is committed to improving the lives of low-income homeowners and renters by making homes safer to prevent serious health challenges. Funding awarded today supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to protecting children and communities across America from the dangers of lead exposure.
“Addressing lead poisoning is a top priority at HUD,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “HUD has partnered with communities across the country to reduce lead exposure, particularly for children. The awards announced here today will help with HUD’s continued commitment to create housing that is safe.”
Today’s announcements follow a slate of new actions by the Biden-Harris Administration to address lead hazards in America, including issuing a final rule that will require drinking water systems nationwide to replace lead service lines within 10 years and an additional $2.6 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for drinking water upgrades and lead pipe replacement.
Research has proven lead exposure can result in permanent health implications, with young children being especially vulnerable due to potential impacts on the development of the central nervous system. Expecting mothers who are exposed to lead can experience reduced fetal growth and preterm birth, and for adults generally, exposure can increase the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and kidney damage.
Today’s announcement features the largest amounts ever awarded through six HUD grant programs under the Department’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. Funding will allow state and local jurisdictions, local housing agencies, academic institutions, public health organizations and non-profit organizations to help eliminate housing-related health and safety hazards for families with lower incomes, support cutting-edge research on assessing and controlling these hazards and educate the public about the dangers of hazards in the home. These awards support HUD’s efforts to promote and advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative that set the goal of 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Protecting Children under Six from Lead Poisoning
Approximately 3.6 million American households have children under 6 years of age who live in homes with lead exposure hazards. The Department is awarding more than $395 million to 73 state and local governments under the Lead Hazard Reduction Program to bolster their efforts to protect children under six from lead poisoning. Award recipients will develop comprehensive programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned rental or owner-occupied housing populations. Funding will also enhance lead-based paint hazard control activities by comprehensively identifying and addressing other housing hazards that could affect the health of occupants.
Preparing Communities for Future Lead Hazard Grants
Through HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Program, the Department is awarding more than $13 million to 10 local jurisdictions, tribes and government agenciesto develop infrastructure that is critical to identifying and controlling lead-based paint hazards. Many houses and apartments built before 1978 feature paint that contains high levels of lead. Lead from paint, chips, dust, and soil can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly. Actions taken by grantees that received funds will reduce hazards in housing in a cost-effective manner while protecting the health of children and families.
Coordinating Home Intervention Services
HUD awarded $2 million in awards to two non-profit organizations under the Healthy Homes and Weatherization Cooperation Demonstration Program to coordinate home intervention services that prevent lead exposure for low-income residents and families. Intervention services and routine lead screening are key to early detection and prevention, particularly among at-risk populations, for the mitigation of associated health impacts. In coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, funding awarded by HUD allows grantees to help identify and repair hazards in homes and while increasing energy efficient and resilience extreme weather events.
Improving Efficacy and Reducing Costs of In-Home Health Hazard Evaluations
In addition to funding new grants that will directly improve home safety for families, HUD awarded nearly $10 million to 12 educational institutions, non-profit organizations and corporations through the Lead and Healthy Homes Technical Studies Programs to support research that will improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of methods for evaluating and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards. Grantees will play important roles in advancing the nation’s understanding of how to create and maintain affordable housing that protects and promotes resident health.
A full list of awards announced today can be found here.
HUD announced today’s awards in commemoration of the upcoming Children’s Environmental Health Day 2024, a day that emphasizes action and equity to protect children from environmental hazards that impact their health and to achieve a more equitable world for all children.
Later this month, HUD and the Biden-Harris Administration will observe the 25th National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), October 20-26, 2024. NLPPW will bring together individuals, organizations, industry, and state, tribal, and local governments to increase lead poisoning prevention awareness to reduce childhood exposure to lead. Information on NLPPW tools, resources, and events is on the NLPPW’s homepage.