Press Release

Schumer, Gillibrand, Slaughter Announce Monroe County Set To Receive More Than $3.2 Million To Remove Lead From Homes – Lead Is A Serious Health Hazard & These Fed Funds Will Help Decrease Exposure

Sep 29, 2014

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control Program (OHHLHC) has awarded Monroe County $3,270,000 in federal funding to address lead hazards in 270 housing units. The Monroe County Department of Public Health will receive $3,000,000 in Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control grant funding, in addition to $270,000 in healthy homes funding, to perform healthy homes assessments in all 270 of these units. Upstate New York counties and municipalities are receiving a total of $13,760,570. The Monroe County Department of Public Health will collaborate with the New York State Department of Health and Monroe County Department of Human Services to address lead issues and conduct their assessments.

“Lead poisoning is a preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future,” said Senator Schumer. “We must do everything we can to eliminate lead from our homes and this major federal grant will do just that, by injecting much-needed funds into lead remediation and prevention. These funds are an investment in the health, safety, and future of communities in Monroe County.”

“Ensuring that our homes are safe and healthy for our children should be a priority for everyone,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Lead-based paint is known to cause severe mental and physical health problems and it is important to remove those hazards from our homes so we can keep our families safe. I am pleased Monroe County will get this funding that will allow them to access critical resources that can help protect residents from exposure to dangerous lead-based paint.”

“I am so pleased that these much needed funds for lead poisoning prevention are coming into Monroe County. I have long fought for lead poisoning prevention programs, and I continue to draw strength and inspiration from the people of Rochester who have also made this fight their own. With this grant, our community’s partners will continue the critical education, prevention, and remediation programs to address lead poisoning,” said Rep. Slaughter. “We cannot ignore that fact that the long term impact of lead poisoning includes cognitive damage and measurable drops in IQ points. I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue investing in lead poisoning prevention programs.” 

The OHHLHC Program aims to assist states and local governments in creating wide-ranging programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned housing. Funds will be used to evaluate homes for lead paint and lead hazards in order to assess and mitigate health and safety hazards in those homes, and provide training and outreach.

The Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC) oversees seven grant programs under the Program Management and Assurance Division. The OHHLHC provides funds to state and local governments to develop cost-effective ways to reduce lead-based paint hazards. In addition, the office enforces HUD’s lead-based paint regulations, provides public outreach and technical assistance, and conducts technical studies to help protect children and their families from health and safety hazards in the home.