HUD awards more than $226 million to protect families from home health hazards
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded more than $226 million to state, county, city, and Tribal governments, and to non-profit organizations, to protect children and families from home health hazards.
This funding is awarded to entities across 33 states, four Tribes, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and will protect families and children by addressing significant health and safety hazards. It will also support increasing local capacity for conducting lead hazard control and additional healthy homes interventions, developing local workforces by training and hiring housing renovation and repair contractors (especially local small businesses) and housing hazard assessment professionals, and researching efficient methods for identifying and addressing housing-related hazards.
“We commend the efforts of our public and nonprofit partners as we seek to make homes safer,” said HUD Agency Head, the Honorable Adrianne Todman. “These grants fund programs and research will improve health, build community capacity, support older adults, and strengthen housing affordability.”
“Our homes are where we should feel the safest,”said HUD Great Plains Regional Administrator Ulysses Clayborn. “That’s not always the case for those living in older homes or areas with higher concentrations of health hazards and that is why these funds are so critically necessary in the Great Plains region so that we can bring that level of comfort and safety to all of our families.”
“By providing these grants, HUD makes it clear that making homes healthy and safe is a priority for communities,” said Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Director Matthew Ammon. “HUD is committed to protecting families from the effects of unhealthy housing and to improving the health and economic stability of communities.”
HUD is making these awards under four of its grant programs:
Helping Seniors Live Independently and Safely in their Homes:
HUD is awarding more than $109 million to 67 state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations under its Older Adults Home Modification Program. The grantees will modify the homes of senior renters and homeowners through maintenance and repair projects based on findings in the homes by certified occupational therapists and other professionals of fall and other housing hazards that could result in the seniors not being able to continue living at home. One-third of the funds will be awarded to grantees that serve communities with substantial rural populations.
Addressing Multiple Home Health Hazards Comprehensively:
HUD is awarding more than $93 million to 52 state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations under its Healthy Homes Production grant program to enable the grantees to address multiple housing-related hazards in the homes of families at the same time, instead of doing so one hazard at a time. The program helps children and other vulnerable residents reach their full potential by preventing injuries and diseases, lowering healthcare costs, and improving their overall quality of life.
Protecting young children and other family members from lead poisoning:
HUD is awarding more than $12 million to two local government agencies under its Lead Hazard Reduction grant program (adding to the over $429 million the Department awarded under this program earlier this year). HUD is also awarding over $2 million to four government agencies to address other housing health and safety issues at the same time that lead hazards are being reduced in homes under grants initially awarded in October. In addition to its direct effects in homes being treated, this program helps transform communities by fixing older housing, preserving affordable housing, and improving communities and the health of their children and families.
Understanding the Effects of Housing-Related Hazards and how to Control the Hazards
HUD is awarding approximately $9 million to nine research institutions under its Healthy Homes Technical Studies grant program (in addition to the 26 grants the Department awarded under this program earlier this year). The studies funded by these grants aim to enhance the understanding of the long-term effects of housing interventions to address lead and other housing hazards, including those related to injury risks, asthma triggers, and poor indoor air quality. Funding these studies is crucial for creating and maintaining healthier housing, especially of populations at greater risk from home health hazards, including young children and seniors.
Read a state-by-state breakdown of the funding announced today:
Read complete project-by-project summaries of the grants awarded today in each of the grant programs.