The


U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(HUD)
on
Monday
announced
$469
million
in
new
funding
that
will
go
toward
fixing
up
older
homes,
renovating
existing
stock
with
new
safety
features
and
preserving

affordable
housing.

The
funds
will
be
allocated
to
state
and
local
governments
under
HUD’s
lead-hazard
control
grant
programs,
which
are
targeted
to
“the
most
vulnerable
residents
of
communities
with
limited
local
resources
to
address
these
hazards,”
HUD
stated.

HUD
acting
secretary

Adrianne
Todman
sees
these
investments
as
an
important
step
to
further
the
goals
of
the
department
under
the

Biden
administration.

“Affordable,
resilient,
and
quality
housing
is
a
priority
of
this
Department,
and
these
grants
affirm
HUD’s
commitment
to
providing
safe
and
healthy
homes,”
Todman
said
in
a
statement.
“By
addressing
and
eliminating
lead
hazards
in
our
nation’s
homes,
we
are
not
only
protecting
the
well-being
of
our
children
but
also
investing
in
the
future
prosperity
of
our
families.
Together,
we
can
create
environments
where
families
thrive,
free
from
the
dangers
of
lead
exposure.”

State
and
local
government
grantees
will
be
selected
in
order
to
“improve
health
and
safety
in
privately-owned
older
(pre-1978)
homes
of
low-income
families
under
HUD’s
Lead
Hazard
Reduction
Grant
Program
—
one
of
the
largest
health
and
safety
investments
to
date
for
privately-owned
housing,”

HUD
said
in
its
announcement.

Within
the
new
funding,
HUD
is
making
more
than
$44
million
available
in
“healthy
homes
supplemental
funding,”
which
is
designed
to
support
efforts
to
control
“additional
housing-related
health
and
safety
hazards
in
those
homes
in
conjunction
with
the
lead
hazard
control
work,
providing
a
whole
home
approach
to
addressing
housing-related
hazards.”

State
and
local
governments
can
apply
for
grant
money
under
this
notice
of
funding
opportunity
(NOFO)
through
Aug.
19,
2024,
and

can
do
so
online.
HUD
also
sees
this
NOFO
as
a
step
toward
its
broader

environmental
justice
plan
since
it
aims
to
mitigate
risks
for
vulnerable
populations.

“HUD
strongly
encourages
eligible
applicants
to
apply
for
these
critical
resources
that
help
transform
communities
by
improving
older
housing,”
the
department
said.

Last
week,
more
than
20
federal
agencies,
including
HUD,
announced

updates
to
their
climate
adaptation
and
resilience
plans
to
protect
government
operations
from
intensifying
impacts
of
climate
change.

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