Funding to make low-income tribal housing safer and healthier
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded more than $12 million in Healthy Homes Production grants to 13 Tribes and Tribal agencies to protect children and families from home health and safety hazards (see chart below).
The grant funding announced today will assist and protect families by targeting health hazards in 1,300 low-income homes with significant home health and safety hazards. The Healthy Homes Production grant program has a demonstrated history of success, filling critical needs in communities where no other resources exist to address substandard housing that threatens the health of the most vulnerable residents.
“Protecting families and their children from safety hazards is a huge investment in the health of those who live in Native American communities,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “These grants announced today shows HUD’s commitment to collaborate with tribal communities to ensure that their housing is healthy and safe.”
“Millions of families and children are seeing their hope for the future threatened by poor health simply because of where they live,” noted Matt Ammon, Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. “This round of funding includes awards to 13 Tribes and Tribal housing agencies that are receiving grant awards for the first time. We are pleased the program is expanding into these previously unserved communities.”
Unsafe and unhealthy homes affect the health of millions of people of all income levels, geographic areas, and walks of life in the U.S. These homes affect the economy directly, through increased utilization of health care services, and indirectly through lost wages and increased school days missed. Housing improvements help prevent injuries and illnesses, reduce associated health care and social services costs, reduce absentee rates for children in school and adults at work, and reduce stress, all which help to improve the quality of life.
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards from lower income homes; stimulate private sector investment in lead hazard control; supports cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educates the public about the dangers of hazards in the home. Read a complete project-by-project summary of the programs awarded grants today.