Montgormery County, Pa., received a $1.8 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address lead-paint hazards in two communities, The Pottstown Mercury reports. The county plans to use to funds to address lead hazards in housing units located in Pottstown and Lansdale, Pa.
“HUD understands the close connection between health and housing,” said Matthew Ammon, director of Housing and Urban Development’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.”
More than $314 million was awarded to 77 state and local government agencies. Montgomery County is one of only six grantees awarded in the state of Pennsylvania.
Montgomery County has more than 163,000 homes built before 1978, putting its inhabitants at risk for lead exposure. This grant will support the County in remediating lead and other hazards in homes owned or occupied by low-income families with children under 6 years of age.
The goals include controlling lead-based paint hazards and reducing housing-related health hazards in eligible households, building workforce capacity of lead certified contractors, and ensuring that families affected by lead hazards are connected to health resources.
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