SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, KENNEDY DELIVER $7 MILLION FOR ERIE COUNTY TO REMOVE LEAD PAINT FROM AGING HOMES, PROTECTING WESTERN NY CHILDREN & FAMILIES FROM RISK OF LEAD POISONING
Fed $$ Will Help Rid Hundreds Of Homes In The City Of Buffalo & Erie County Of Lead Paint Hazards & Increase Education Initiatives To Protect Families
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman Tim Kennedy announced $7,000,000 in federal funding for Erie County from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program. The lawmakers explained that the funding will be used to address lead-based paint hazards in hundreds of local homes, improving the health of children and families in Buffalo & Erie County.
“No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for the children of Buffalo and Erie County. Today, I am proud to announce we have secured $7 million in federal funding for Erie County to remove lead paint from homes to protect hundreds of our children and the whole community’s public health,” said Senator Schumer. “Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future. This major federal funding is the shot in the arm that Buffalo and Erie County need to boost lead paint removal and prevention and protect the health and safety of families across Western NY.”
“Everyone deserves a home free of potential health risks, yet thousands of New York families are exposed to dangerous lead paint daily. This exposure is especially harmful to children, who are at disproportionate risk for adverse effects,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By providing federal dollars to help fix old homes and preserve affordable housing, this investment will improve the health of New York’s communities by addressing lead-based paint hazards. I’m proud to announce this grant, and I will continue working to keep New Yorkers safe from environmental hazards and housing-related health risks.”
“Historic housing and walkable neighborhoods are part of what makes Buffalo such a great place to live, but we need to make sure that our housing is safe for the families that call our city home,” said Congressman Kennedy. “Lead paint jeopardizes the development of our children and the wellbeing of people across our community. This federal funding will help remove lead paint that is often hidden in plain sight in homes and lived spaces, particularly benefiting communities in Western New York with elevated lead exposure. With investments like this one, we're making our region healthier and setting the next generation on a path to success."
The lawmakers explained that the funding will protect between hundreds of families & children through hazard control and capacity-building activities in addition to helping Erie County complete risk-assessments at 360+ housing units, and complete and clear 300+ housing units of lead hazards. Erie County will also boost community-wide education initiatives to teach residents living in at-risk zip codes, homeowners, and contractors about lead safety.
“Lead is a silent scourge in our community, lurking in older homes where it can do damage to unsuspecting children. Every effort to protect children from lead poisoning and create a lead-free community should be made and I thank Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Kennedy for securing this funding for Erie County,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Working together we can continue to improve the health of children and families by making their home environments lead-free.”
“Children deserve safe spaces where they can live, play, learn and grow – spaces that are free of toxic elements like lead,” said Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “The devastating and lifelong health impacts of lead poisoning are preventable, and these federal funds will support activities that we know work to protect children’s health: addressing lead-based paint hazards and improving the quality and safety of our local housing stock.”
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. Lead-based paint, still encasing the walls of many homes, often erodes and settles on children’s toys on the floor, eventually falling into the hands and mouths of children. For children under the age of 6, lead exposure can result in developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues, which may lead to lifelong health and financial consequences. Schumer has long advocated for protecting New York’s children and families in the past by securing millions of dollars in federal funding to eradicate these toxic elements from homes in order to reduce lead poisoning cases. Lead poisoning can cause developmental difficulties, physical pain, and neurological damage.
The purpose of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. These grants are used to assist municipalities in carrying out lead hazard control activities.
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