Press Release

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $1 Million in Federal Funding to Help Identify and Remove Lead Hazards From Homes in Utica

Aug 16, 2019

Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,000,000 in federal funding for the Utica Housing Authority to combat the ongoing threat of lead throughout the city’s homes. The funding was allocated through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Lead-Based Paint Capital Fund (LBPCF) program, and will specifically be used to conduct lead-based paint risk assessments, housing inspections, and long-term and temporary abatement measures in public housing.  

“Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs too many families and specifically children of their future, especially here in Utica. Forty years after the federal government banned the use of lead paint, it is still a plague upon the people of the Mohawk Valley, so we have to do everything possible to eliminate exposure to it,” said Senator Schumer. “Fortunately, this major investment in the Utica Housing Authority will aim to do just that, by identifying lead hazards and working to remove them from the homes of some of our most vulnerable families. I’m proud to announce this crucial federal funding and will always fight in the Senate to make sure our communities have the resources they need to keep our families healthy and safe.”

“No New Yorker should have to live in a home where they could be poisoned by lead. This federal investment for the Utica Housing Authority is great news and it will help identify and eliminate lead in the homes of some of our most vulnerable families,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Lead poisoning causes severe mental and health problems, and we must do everything we can to protect families from this toxin. I’m proud to support this funding and will continue to fight to provide our communities with the federal support necessary to remove lead from our homes.”  

HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Capital Fund provides funding to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to identify and reduce lead-based paint hazards in eligible housing units.