$2.3M Grant To Address Lead, Home Health Hazards In McHenry Co.

From McHenry County: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $11.3 million across the State of Illinois including $2.3 million to McHenry County.

Nationally, HUD awarded a record investment of more than $314 million to 77 state and local government agencies and more than $5 million to six tribal communities to protect children and families in low-income households from lead-based paint and home health hazards. Many of the grantees will work to clean up lead hazards in Opportunity Zones. McHenry County was awarded $2,046,919 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant program funding, and $201,050 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The County will address lead hazards in 100 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children, perform healthy homes assessments in 40 units, and work with other medical and social service providers.

HUD commemorated National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week last month and the theme was “Get the Facts; Get Your Home Tested; and Get Your Child Tested.” This annual national public health education campaign came as HUD awarded over $319 million to state and local
and tribal communities for lead hazard reduction and healthy homes and an additional $2 million to research organizations for lead safety research. “Awareness of potential sources of lead poisoning, some which may be totally overlooked, and how to control them, is critical,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. He added, “For homes built before 1978, getting homes and children tested for lead are the vital next steps. We are committed to improving the lives of all families, especially children, by creating safer and healthier homes. One of HUD’s priorities is protecting families from lead-based paint and other health hazards. These grants will help states, tribes, and local communities do precisely that.”

“We at HUD understand the importance of the intersection between health and housing and are deeply committed to protecting families and children across McHenry County and the State of Illinois so they can reach their God-given potential,” said HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph P. Galvan. “Children have a right to live in healthy homes, and thanks to this funding, 100 homes will be made safe from lead and other hazards for some of McHenry County’s most vulnerable kids,” McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks said. “We owe a debt of gratitude to HUD and to our Planning and Development Department for working together to achieve this extraordinary result.”

The Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program grants include $30 million in HUD’s
Healthy Homes Supplemental funding to help communities address housing-related health and
safety hazards, in addition to lead-based paint hazards. Seven local communities were awarded
grants to help their ‘High Impact Neighborhood’ where they will conduct lead hazard control
and healthy homes work intensively in a targeted neighborhood impacted by poor housing
conditions. HUD’s new tribal grants fill critical needs in communities where limited resources
exist to address substandard housing that threatens the health of the most vulnerable tribal residents. Combined, these investments will protect families and children by targeting health hazards in more than 14,700 low-income homes with significant lead and health hazards for which other resources are not available to address these needs. “HUD understands the close connection between health and housing,” said Matthew Ammon, Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. “This year, HUD is awarding a record number of awards to jurisdictions to directly support their efforts to identify and clean up housing-based health hazards like lead and mold.”

HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards from lower income homes; stimulates private sector investment in lead hazard control; supports cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educates the public about the dangers of hazards in the home. Read a complete project-by-project summary of the programs awarded grants today. Lead Hazard Reduction in Opportunity Zones.

Created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones aim to stimulate long- term investments in low-income communities by offering significant capital gains tax relief to those who invest in these distressed areas. This initiative is anticipated to spur $100 billion in private capital investment in Opportunity Zones. Incentivizing investment in low-income communities fosters economic revitalization, job creation, and promotes sustainable economic growth across the nation, especially in communities HUD serves. Applicants seeking funding under HUD’s Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Production Grant Program for Tribal Housing receive bonus points to further drive public investment to these areas.

This press released was produced by McHenry County. The views are the author's own.