Letter to Hon. Patrick Leahy, Chairman of Senate Appropriations Committee, Hon. Richard Shelby, Ranking Member of Senate Appropriations Committee, Hon. Rosa DeLauro, Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, and Hon. Kay Granger, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations - Reps. Espaillat, Torres Lead Congressional Call to Increase Fire Safety Measures in New York City and Nationwide

Letter

Dear Chair DeLauro, Chair Leahy, Ranking Member Granger, and Vice Chairman Shelby:

As you negotiate a final Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Omnibus package, we urge you to support the inclusion of fire safety measures for residential communities.

In a single year, it is estimated that fire departments respond to 1.4 million fires in the United States. Across the country, house fires continue to be a leading cause of death and property loss. In 2020, there were 490,500 residential home fires which resulted in $12.1 billion in damages and the loss of 2,730 lives[1]. Though only a quarter of fires occur in home properties, they cause 74 percent of fire-related deaths. Unfortunately, due to a legacy of racist zoning laws Black people are more likely than other people of other races to die in accidents like fires. Though they only make up 13 percent of the US population, Black Americans represent 25 percent of individuals killed in residential fires across the country[2].

Currently, in the FY22 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill, the committee has recommended that $460 billion be allocated to the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. This money is partially meant to mitigate common health hazards found in homes, though the current language does not explicitly mention fire hazards. That is why we are asking for the following language change be considered during negotiations:

Requested Report Language: Multiple health hazards in homes.--The HHI strives to protect children and their families from housing-related health and safety hazards. Among these health and safety concerns are mold, noise, allergens, asthma, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. Additionally, these safety concerns include fire hazards such as, but not limited to, cooking, smoking, heating, lighting, flammable liquids, and other home hazards that may lead to a fire. The presence of these multiple hazards exacerbates existing health problems and can lead to new physical and psychological ones. The Committee directs the OLHCHH to give homes with multiple hazards priority consideration.

We must be proactive in acknowledging the danger of fire hazards that exists in every home. Thank you for your attention and consideration of this request