Niagara County is set to receive $6,250,000 to address lead-based paint hazards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Program.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the awarding of $10,280,387 in HUD funding. The City of Buffalo will receive $4,030,387.
“No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for children,” Schumer said. “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 these regions need to boost lead paint removal and prevention and protect the health and safety of families in Upstate NY.”
Added Gillibrand, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Housing Subcommittee who helped negotiate the funds, “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.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, 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 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.
“Preventing lead exposure before it impacts children is a fundamental public health priority. These funds will directly support ongoing efforts to identify and remediate lead hazards in homes across Niagara County,” said Dr. Fauzia Khan, director of the Niagara County Department of Health.