HUD awards Birmingham $4.1 million to protect families from lead-based paint
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $4.1 million to the City of Birmingham to protect children and families from lead-based paint and home health hazards. It is part of the $139 million that was awarded to 48 state and local government agencies on Dec. 19.
HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Lead-Based Paint and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant programs provide funds to pinpoint and clean up dangerous lead in low-income housing. Nearly $18 million is included through HUD’s Healthy Homes Supplemental funding to benefit communities with housing-related health and safety hazards unrelated to lead-based paint.
$3.5 million of the $4.1 million will go toward the Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Program; $600,000 will assist the Healthy Homes Initiative.
“This grant award is going to help us do a better job of providing adequate housing for our citizens,” said Nigel Roberts, director of Community Development for the City of Birmingham. “It’ll also help us expand upon revitalizing underserved neighborhoods. It allows for more opportunities to get into older homes and bring them to a higher standard.”
Grant funds will assist with leveraging Neighborhood Revitalization and Community Development efforts to achieve Mayor Randall Woodfin’s strategy and goals of neighborhood revitalization.
Most importantly, the funds will aid with protecting children and families from lead-based paint and home health hazards establishing decent, safe and sanitary housing.
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, stimulates private sector investment in lead hazard control, supports cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards and educates the public about the dangers of hazards in the home.
