HUD Awards Nearly $2.5 Million in Grants To Protect Thousands Of Children in Minneapolis From Lead and Other Home Hazards

Funding to make low-income housing safer and healthier

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded a $2,480,000 million grant to the City of Minneapolis, MN., to conduct a wide range of activities intended to protect children and families from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards.

The grant funding announced today will clean up lead and other health hazards in nearly 6,000 high-risk homes, train workers in lead safety methods, and increase public awareness about childhood lead poisoning. Lead is a known toxin that can impair children’s development and have effects lasting into adulthood.

“Protecting the health and well-being of children is a top priority for HUD. We know that housing conditions directly affect the health of its residents,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “These grants will help communities around the nation to protect families from lead exposure and other significant health and safety hazards.”

“With these grant awards, HUD makes it clear that providing healthy and safe homes for families and children is a priority,” said Jon Gant, Director of HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. “It’s simple: you can’t be healthy if your home is sick. HUD is committed to protecting children from these hazards, as part of our efforts to help make the nation’s housing healthy and sustainable.”

“These funds will help ensure the family home is the safe and healthy sanctuary it should be for families in Minneapolis,” said Antonio R. Riley, HUD’s Midwest Regional Administrator.

Project Description: The City of Minneapolis is awarded $ 2,300,000 in Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and an additional $ 180,000 in healthy homes initiative funding. The City will address lead hazards in 200 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The City will also perform healthy homes assessments in 200 units. The City of Minneapolis will collaborate with Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support and local community-based organization. Contact Person: Ms. Lisa Smestad 612-673-3733; lisa.smestad@minneapolismn.gov.

Through these grant programs, HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead hazards from lower income homes; stimulates private sector investment in lead hazard control; and educates the public about the dangers of lead-based paint.

Lead Hazard Control Grant Programs

Even though lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, HUD estimates that approximately 24 million homes still have significant lead-based paint hazards today. Lead-contaminated dust is the primary cause of lead exposure and can lead to a variety of health problems in young children, including reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, reduced height, and impaired hearing. At higher levels, lead can damage a child's kidneys and central nervous system and cause anemia, coma, convulsions and even death.

The funding announced today directs critical funds to cities, counties and states to eliminate dangerous lead paint hazards in thousands of privately-owned, low-income housing units. These funds are provided through HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant programs. To expand the reach of HUD’s Lead Hazard Control Program. HUD is also providing over $5.3 million to help communities transform their lead hazard control programs to address multiple housing-related hazards.

Grant program abbreviations are as follows: LBPHC - Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program

LHRD - Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program

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