Schumer Urges Hud Not to Claw-Back Vital Lead Abatement Grant from Utica

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer wrote a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, urging HUD to work with Utica city officials in order to preserve a $2.1 million federal grant for lead abatement projects in the city. The work funded by the grant, which Schumer supported in 2009, is essential to Utica an Oneida County, where nearly 170 children suffer from lead poisoning every year thanks to the older homes in the area. Chipping and peeling paint and lead dust ingested by children can result in permanent neurological and brain impairment. Currently, the City of Utica has obligated roughly $300,000 of the grant funding and has performed abatement on sixteen units. Schumer is urging HUD and Utica to work together to come to an agreement on the appropriate use for the remaining funds so that they can continue to be put to critical use towards lead abatement, and not sent back to Washington.

"Lead poisoning robs our children of their future. But it can be prevented, and this grant will fund critical projects that can keep Utica's children safe from ingesting dangerous chemicals that can do them permanent harm," said Schumer. "Keeping children in Utica safe is the number one goal here, and I am strongly urging the feds to work with local officials to keep these funds where they can do the most good. I urge Secretary Donovan, who cares deeply about this issue and also wants to be sure that his agency's resources are being put to good use, to work with the City of Utica and come to an agreement that allows these lead abatement projects to move forward as quickly as possible."

Peeling and chipping lead-based paint and lead-filled dust in old housing stock are some of the most common sources of lead poisoning among children. Due to its older housing stock, Utica has a relatively high concentration of homes at risk for causing lead poisoning. The lead from these and other sources can build up in the body, sometimes over the course of several months or years. If children under the age of six contract lead poisoning, it can lead to devastating effects on both mental and physical development, including permanent intellectual deficits. In the worst cases, lead poisoning can be fatal.

In 2009, the City of Utica was awarded a $2.1 million grant from HUD's Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program. This grant was critical, as Oneida County has 170 children suffering from lead poisoning every year due to the presence of older homes within the community. This is a significant number in relation to the area's population, but is also one of the highest annual rates in all of New York.

"Given the irreversible and devastating impacts that lead poisoning has on a child's neurological development, it is essential to give New York's hard-pressed local governments the tools and resources needed to combat this most preventable of public health threats," said Schumer. Schumer supported the 2009 grant application because it was a critical step toward helping the city to reduce the preventable lead hazards found in a large portion of dwellings located within the city's most impoverished neighborhoods.

Currently, the City of Utica has obligated roughly $300,000 of the grant funding and has performed abatement on sixteen units, but more work must be completed in order to meet the grant terms and conditions. Schumer urges that the city administration clearly detail how the remaining grant funding will be effectively and efficiently utilized. In turn, Schumer asks that Secretary Donovan approve the city's request for additional time to expend the critical lead hazard reduction grant funding.

A copy of Senator Schumer's letter to Secretary Shaun Donovan appears below:

March 8, 2011

The Honorable Shaun Donovan
Secretary
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20410

Dear Secretary Donovan:

I write today on behalf of the City of Utica, to urge that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant an extension to allow the City to expend the remaining funds of its Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant.

In 2009, the City of Utica was awarded a $2.1 million grant from HUD's Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program. This grant couldn't have come at a better time for the city. In Oneida County, nearly 200 children suffer from lead poisoning every year due to the presence of older homes within the community, a significant number in relation to the area's population. Given the irreversible and devastating impacts that lead poisoning has on a child's neurological development, I know you agree with me that we must do all we can to give our hard-pressed local governments the tools and resources needed to combat this most preventable of public health threats. I was proud to support this grant application because it was a critical step toward helping the city to reduce the preventable lead hazards found in a large portion of dwellings located within the city's most impoverished neighborhoods.

To date, the City of Utica has obligated roughly $300,000 of the grant funding and has performed abatement on sixteen units, but they understand that they have a long way to go in order to meet the grant terms and conditions. I have discussed this grant with Mayor Roefaro and city administration, and have urged them to provide the department with a detailed roadmap outlining how remaining grant funds will be effectively and efficiently utilized. I have also urged the city to work closely with administration officials to ensure the city makes proper progress moving forward.

At this time, I respectfully urge you approve the city's request for additional time to expend lead hazard reduction grant funding. While it is absolutely imperative that our federal program dollars are spent wisely, it is counterproductive to take lead poisoning prevention funding away from a cash-strapped municipality that has a high percentage of lead poisoned children.

Thank you for your consideration. For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me or my Grants Director, Grant Kerr, in my Washington office at 202.224.6542

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator

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