News Release

HUD ANNOUNCES $7.7 MILLION IN GRANTS TO TEXAS TO PROTECT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN FROM LEAD AND OTHER HOME HEALTH HAZARDS
Funding to College Station, Houston and San Antonio will help to make low-income housing safer and healthier

FORT WORTH -The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding a total of $7,796,041 in grants to five Texas projects to conduct a wide range of activities that include eliminating lead hazards, training workers in lead safety methods, increasing public awareness about childhood lead poisoning and evaluating outreach on controlling housing-based hazards. The awards were announced by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan yesterday at the Council on Foundations conference in San Antonio, Texas. Lead is a known toxin that can impair children's development and have effects lasting into adulthood and other materials in the home can trigger allergic responses and asthma.

Nationally, $118 million in awards was announced for 46 projects across the country.

"To grow up healthy, children need to live in healthy homes," said Secretary Donovan. "HUD is helping communities around the nation protect children from lead poisoning as part of HUD's effort to help make the nation`s housing healthy, green, energy efficient and sustainable."

Through four grant programs, HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead hazards from lower income homes; stimulate private sector investment in lead hazard control; and educate the public about the dangers of lead-based paint and other housing hazards.

Even though lead-based paint was banned for use in the home in 1978, HUD estimates that approximately 24 million homes still have significant lead-based paint hazards today. Lead-contaminated dust is the primary cause of lead exposure and can lead to a variety of health problems in young children, including reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, reduced height, and impaired hearing. At higher levels, lead can damage a child's kidneys and central nervous system and cause anemia, coma, convulsions and even death.

The following is a breakdown of the grants announced today with program summaries:

*HHTS - Healthy Homes Technical Studies
LHC - Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program
LHRD - Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program
LOR - Lead Outreach Grant Program

The City of San Antonio, Texas will use its $1,849,246 Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant to provide safe and decent housing to a targeted segment of the community in the inner city. The program will evaluate 247 homes for lead paint and lead hazards; eliminate lead hazards in 247 homes; conduct outreach and education to reach at least 150 people through community outreach; and provide training to175 individuals in lead safe work practices. The City of San Antonio will be partnering with Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, San Antonio Fire Department, and Martinez Women's Center in this program. Contact: Mr. David D. Garza, Director of Housing and Neighborhood Services Department on (210) 207-5400 or email David.D.Garza@sanantonio.gov

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will use its $326,962 Healthy Homes Technical Studies grant to identify and educate 80 families and children on environmental hazards in the home that can potentially expose them to lead and to known asthma triggers in an effort to improve the overall quality of life. The families will receive an environmental assessment with recommendations, as well as training on lead exposure and asthma triggers. The University will partner with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, Housing Neighborhood Services of the city of San Antonio, and the South Central Area Health Education Centers. Contact: Dr. Victor German, phone (210) 567-7400.

The Houston Department of Health and Human Services will use its $2,250,000 Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant to maximize the number of children protected from lead-based paint exposure by targeting vacant, pre-1978 rental units and renter-occupied units with residential turnover rates of more than 45 percent per 15 month period. It will also promote fair housing and environmental justice by developing and maintaining a public Environmental Safe Housing Registry for the city of Houston. The program will evaluate 225 homes for lead paint and lead hazards; eliminate lead hazards in 180 homes; conduct outreach and education through 30 events; and provide training to 30 individuals. The Houston Department of Health and Human Services will be partnering with Gulf Coast Community Service Association, Baylor College of Medicine, the National Center for Healthy Housing, Asthma Coalition of Texas, and others. Contact: Brenda Reyes, Bureau Chief, who can be reached at (713) 794-9452 or email brenda.reyes@cityofhouston.net.

The Houston Department of Health and Human Services will use its $3,070,000 Lead
Based Paint Hazard Control grant to protect children from lead based paint exposure and create more healthy home awareness. The program will evaluate 225 homes for lead paint and lead hazards; eliminate lead hazards in 185 homes; assess and mitigate additional housing-related health and safety hazards in many homes; conduct outreach and education to reach at least 2,000 individuals through community outreach; and provide training to 630 individuals in lead safety. The Houston Department of Health and Human Services will partner with de Madres a Madres, Gulf Cost Community Service Association, Baylor College of Medicine Galveston Houston Association for Smog Prevention, National Center for Healthy Housing, Asthma Coalition of Texas, and Ben Taub Hospital/Harris County Hospital District in this program. Contact: Dr. Brenda Reyes, Bureau Chief, Houston Department of Health and Human Services; (713) 794-9452 or email brenda.reyes2@cityofhouston.net.

Texas A&M University's Texas Colonias Program will use its $214, 303 Lead Outreach grant to conduct 4,000 home visits with approximately 2,500 families with expectant mothers and young children; have 1,000 residents attend 72 community presentations; and reach an additional 60,000 residents through various community awareness campaigns and events. The University is partnering with the Women Infants and Children Nutrition Program, Texas Health and Human Services Office of Border Affairs, and Buckner Children and Family Services. Contact: Charlene Miller at (979) 862-6450.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

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