HUD Awards City $4.3 Million for Lead Prevention

Since 1992, the percentage of screened children with elevated levels of lead in their blood has declined 98 percent, according to the Mass Department of Health.

However, it is important that parents of small children have annual checkups scheduled at places where children’s blood is tested, DPH suggests.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which seeks to raise awareness of lead poisoning prevention and reduce childhood prevention and exposure to lead has granted $4.3 million in funding to help future prevention of childhood lead poisoning in the City of Boston.

“The funding is a great affirmation of our lead abatement work and will support our efforts in providing safe and assessable homes to all Bostonians,” Mayor Martin Walsh noted.

“Despite being a City with older housing stock, we continue to make great progress in the reduction of lead in Boston homes,” the Mayor added.

“The grant to Boston’s “Lead Safe” program will address lead in more than 300 units providing safer homes for families with low income,” the City claims.

Reportedly, the funds will be used to work with homeowners and landlords with low income eligible tenants by providing fully forgivable loans to complete the necessary work.

Funding will apparently protect families by targeting low income homes and/or other homes with health or safety hazards which are a priority.

Boston also plans to use the funding to ramp up its efforts to continue to be a national leader in keeping lead out of drinking water supplies.

The World Health Organization noted, “Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer profound and permanent adverse health effects that affect the development of the brain and nervous system.”

            Both HUD and the City are committed to providing protection to families from these hazards according to information provided to the general public.