On Monday, January 10, the Great Plains regional office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded over $3.9 million to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/ Kansas City, Kansas (UG) to protect children and families from lead-based paint hazards and additional home health hazards.

HUD Regional Administrator Ulysses Clayborn was joined by UG Mayor/CEO Tyrone A. Garner and UG Health Department Director Juliann Van Liew in presenting the check and providing remarks on the occasion.

HUD is providing the UG $3,420,348 through its Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant Program to identify and clean up dangerous lead in low-income families' older homes. The award includes more than $510,000 from HUD's Healthy Homes Supplemental funding to help communities address homes with housing-related health and safety hazards in addition to lead-based paint hazards. Altogether, the UG received $3,930,348 between the two programs.

"Sadly, even though lead was in fact banned many years ago in residential housing, its legacy remains," said Regional Administrator Clayborn in his remarks. "With today's funding from HUD, the Unified Government will be able to continue its ongoing work with medical and social service providers to substantively address lead and other health hazards."

"I sincerely thank the Department of Housing and Urban Development for this grant and investment in Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas," said Mayor/CEO Garner. "This grant will allow the Unified Government to address areas that have been historically disinvested and disenfranchised. With a poverty rate of 20%, we will be able to provide equitable resources and craft solutions to improve the lives of those otherwise unable to address the negative impacts caused by lead in our communities."

"These investments will help us better protect families and children in our community from health issues caused by lead exposures," said Director Van Liew. "The Health Department will use this grant to remediate lead paint and other health hazards in an estimated 85 homes in Kansas City, Kansas. Our efforts will focus on homes with young children and with risk factors for lead exposure, like older housing in neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty. We will also train staff to increase capacity to address lead hazards in the community. We will announce more details on the program later this year."

About HUD's Office of Lead Hazard and Healthy Homes

The Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) provides funds to state and local governments to develop cost-effective ways to reduce lead-based paint hazards. In addition, the office enforces HUD's lead-based paint regulations, provides public outreach and technical assistance, and conducts technical studies to help protect children and their families from health and safety hazards in the home. Find out more at https://hud.gov/lead.

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