HUD Secretary Julián Castro announced on June 13 the release of a new toolkit aimed at eliminating lead-based paint hazards in HUD-assisted housing. The Lead-Safe Homes, Lead-Free Kids Toolkit provides both short and long-term plans to address lead hazards in HUD-assisted housing through immediate changes to HUD programs and legislative proposals.
According to HUD, the toolkit will help the agency:
- Strengthen regulatory framework and monitoring by proposing revisions to HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule, which, when issued, will align the child blood lead level requiring response with the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommended level.
- Identify and address known lead hazards through increased monitoring, improved local reporting and guidance by increasing monitoring and enforcement of the Lead Safe Housing Rule and the Lead Disclosure Rule, as well as clarifying HUD guidance about these rules to Public Housing Agencies, owners of HUD-assisted housing, and HUD grantees.
- Work with Administration partners to encourage an interagency focus within the administration to address lead hazard prevention for both paint and other sources.
- Provide education and targeted outreach to increase awareness of lead by HUD families, housing providers, local governments, and other key stakeholders, and work with health departments to make available blood lead level testing to all children under age six in HUD-assisted homes.
- Identify best practices through research and determine where best to target federal resources by studying the effectiveness of HUD grantees’ use of formula grants to address lead issues.
“The health and safety of the families we serve is our first priority,” said Secretary Castro. “Sadly, decades’ worth of lead hazards in homes continues to put families and young children at risk. As a leader in lead-safe housing, we know there’s still more work to be done. We’re proud to introduce this toolkit so we can better ensure children and their families have a safe, healthy place to call home.”
Read the toolkit here: http://1.usa.gov/1trRi0T
Read the HUD press release here: http://1.usa.gov/1trN6OJ