HUD AWARDS $2.9 MILLION TO PEORIA COUNTY TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FROM DANGEROUS LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS

HUD AWARDS $2.9 MILLION TO PEORIA COUNTY TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FROM DANGEROUS LEAD AND OTHER HOME HAZARDS 1 In an effort to protect children and families from the hazards of lead-based paint and other health hazards and safety hazards, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $3.2 million to the county of Peoria, Illinois. The County of Peoria was awarded $2,906,610 in Lead Hazard Control grant program funding and $325,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funds. The grant funding announced today will reduce the number of lead-poisoned children and protect 180 families living in homes with significant lead and/or other home health and safety hazards.

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In an effort to protect children and families from the hazards of lead-based paint and other health hazards and safety hazards, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $3.2 million to the county of Peoria, Illinois. The County of Peoria was awarded $2,906,610 in Lead Hazard Control grant program funding and $325,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funds. The grant funding announced today will reduce the number of lead-poisoned children and protect 180 families living in homes with significant lead and/or other home health and safety hazards.

HUD’s Lead Hazard Control grant programs have a demonstrated history of success, filling critical needs in urban communities where no other resources exist to address substandard housing that threatens the health of the most vulnerable residents.

As HUD celebrates its 50th anniversary, HUD Secretary Julián Castro is focused on advancing policies that create opportunities for all Americans, including helping children and families secure quality housing by protecting them from the hazards of lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards.

“Every child deserves the chance to grow up in a safe and healthy home,” said Castro. “Today, we take another important step to help eliminate potentially dangerous lead hazards and to make these homes healthier and safer places for families to call home.”

“HUD is committed to protecting children in Illinois from lead and other home hazards in order to assist them in achieving their full potential,” said Antonio R. Riley, HUD’s Midwest Regional Administrator.

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 unsafe and unhealthy 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.

The County of Peoria will address lead hazards in 180 housing units and assess and address Healthy Home hazards in 130 of those units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The County of Peoria will continue to act as a delegate of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and collaborate with the local city agencies, health departments and federal agencies to carry out the grant.

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; stimulate private sector investment in lead hazard control; support cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educate 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. HUD is also providing the Lead Based Paint Hazard Control program grantees over $8.8 million in Healthy Homes supplemental funding to help communities mitigate multiple health hazards in high risk housing simultaneously, in conjunction with their lead hazard control activities.

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.

You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Castro on
Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s Email List.

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State

Recipient

Award Amount

California

 City of Long Beach

$3,231,609
City of Huntington Park

$1,676,997

Connecticut

 City of New Haven

$3,231,610
City of Waterbury

$3,231,610
State of Connecticut

$3,714,272

Iowa

 City of Dubuque

$3,230,815
City of Sioux City

$2,662,175

Illinois

 County of Peoria

$3,231,610
Massachusetts City of Boston

$3,231,610
City of Fitchburg

$3,231,610
City of Gloucester

$1,285,280
City of Worcester

$3,714,272

Maryland

 City of Baltimore

$3,714,272

Michigan

 State of Michigan

$3,231,610

Minnesota

 Hennepin County

$3,714,272

Nebraska

 City of Omaha

$2,232,839

New Hampshire

 City of Manchester

$2,905,091

New York

 Broome County

$3,231,610
Chautauqua County

$2,217,833
City of New York

$3,714,272
City of Rochester

$3,714,272

Ohio

 City of Akron

$3,714,272
City of Cleveland

$3,714,272
Cuyahoga County

$3,231,610
State of Ohio

$3,231,610

Pennsylvania

 County of Lawrence

$3,231,610
City of Harrisburg

$3,714,272
City of Philadelphia

$3,714,272

Tennessee

 City of Memphis

$3,714,272

Texas

 Harris County

$3,121,033
City of Houston

$2,905,078

Vermont

 Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

$3,231,148

TOTAL

$101,872,990