U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and U.S. Sen. Paul Kirk (D-MA) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $6 million to the City of Worcester for lead removal in homes.
The City will be receiving $3 million from the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control program and $3 million from the Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant program.
The funding will be used as part of the City's neighborhood stabilization and revitalization program: http://www.buyworcesternow.com/preserving_neighborhoods.html. More than 245 units of housing have been de-leaded as a result of the City's successful Lead Removal Program since it began in 2007.
-It is essential that our children grow up in safe, healthy homes,- Rep. McGovern said. -This federal funding will go a long way toward assisting Worcester's innovative neighborhood revitalization strategy. I'm very pleased with this grant award, and I commend HUD for recognizing the good work being done in Worcester.
-This investment helps make our homes safer by removing the cancer risks of old lead paint,- Sen. Kerry said. -Families across the city need to know they are protected from these life-threatening carcinogens.-
-These federal fund will help the City of Worcester improve the well-being of its citizens and neighborhoods,- Sen. Kirk said. -I'm pleased HUD has recognized the city for its impressive efforts to preserve and stabilize its community, and I look forward to the progress to come.-
-We are extremely grateful to the Federal delegation for securing this funding in support of preserving our neighborhoods,- City Manager Michael V. O'Brien said. -This program has been extremely successful and is even more important now as we look to rebuild neighborhoods in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis.-
According to HUD, -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.-
