David Skinner, Neighbor

Baltimore County is a national leader in the integration of comprehensive green and healthy housing interventions and strategies to create healthy, affordable and sustainable homes for families. Baltimore County’s Office of Neighborhood Improvement has applied, and been approved, as a new grantee for HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant funding. With these lead-based paint hazard control funds, the County will provide grants to eligible families up to $15,000.00 to create lead safe units. For decades, childhood lead poisoning has tragically impacted the lives of children and communities in Baltimore County. Lead poisoning's effects such as learning disabilities, loss of IQ, speech development problems, attention deficit disorder and aggressive behavior, have challenged the County's schools and juvenile justice systems in at risk communities. In 2006, there were 85 children who were identified with elevated blood lead levels in Baltimore County. With a strong set of local, state and community partners (including the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning), the Office of Neighborhood Improvement will use these funds to aggressively pursue its goal of ending childhood lead poisoning in Baltimore County.

For more information contact: Lead Safe Baltimore County 410.887.3668