Larson, Blumenthal, Lamont Join HUD Officials to Announce More Than $11 Million to Address Health Hazards in Connecticut Public Housing

Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Governor Ned Lamont joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to announce $11.5 million in funding for two housing authorities in Connecticut to evaluate and reduce residential health hazards in public housing, including lead-based paint, carbon monoxide, mold, radon, and fire safety.

“Dangerous toxins like lead are still far too commonly found in homes and apartments. Today’s announcement of over $4 million in federal funding will help protect children and families from the dangers of lead poisoning in Hartford. This investment will go a long way from evaluating risks to eliminating lead paint from homes, where more than 1,000 Connecticut children are negatively impacted annually. I will continue to work with our state and local partners to support funding to improve public health outcomes and increase access to high-quality, affordable housing,” said Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01).

“This $11 million will protect more Norwich and Hartford families from exposure to hazardous lead in their homes, ensuring they can grow, play, and learn in safe environments," said Senator Richard Blumenthal. "Lead poisoning can cause devastating and irreversible damage, most especially to young children, and I am thrilled to see this desperately needed federal funding come to Connecticut.”

“In Connecticut, we've been taking aggressive actions to invest in our communities so that every child can grow up safe from lead exposure,” stated Governor Ned Lamont. “This partnership with the Biden-Harris administration and HUD means that we can expand these efforts to remove lead paint hazards from even more Connecticut homes, especially those most at risk. This funding means that more children can grow up in a lead-safe environment.”

“Far too many Americans, specifically children, are living in at-risk conditions, like older homes, exposing them to lead-based paint hazards,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “The funding announced today is an integral step in identifying the risks of lead exposure and other health hazards across communities and working towards a future where unhealthy housing is no longer an issue.”

“The negative effects of lead poisoning can be irreversible and cause learning disabilities, reduced intelligence, and life-long health effects in children as well as grave health damage to adults,” said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Richard Monocchio. “This funding will help to remediate housing units with potential lead exposure and protect families in the US and their children – especially families with limited resources in older homes – from lead poisoning and harmful exposure to other hazardous contaminants in their homes.”

“A large portion of Hartford’s public housing stock was built before the ban on lead-based paint, and protecting our residents and vulnerable populations from lead-based hazards is a priority for our administration,” said Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. “I’m grateful to our federal partners at the Department of Housing and Urban Development for making this critical investment in improving the quality of life for Hartford residents and preventing adverse, irreversible health effects from taking hold.” 

"We are so grateful to HUD for being among the housing authorities nationwide selected to receive a portion of this federal funding. These critically important funds will provide the resources we need to ensure that HUD-subsidized housing across our many programs is safe for our residents," said Annette Sanderson, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Hartford (HACH). "Our more than $4 million share of this money will enhance our ability to evaluate and assess whether buildings under our oversight meet the physical condition standards established under the National Standards for Physical Inspection for Real Estate (NSPIRE) guidelines and is aligned with HACH's mission to be a fiscally sound agency that provides safe, decent and affordable high-quality housing and homeownership choices.”

“On behalf of the Norwich Housing Authority, residents of Oakwood Knoll, our dedicated staff, our board of commissioners, and the city of Norwich, we want to thank you all for this grant award of $7.5 million dollars,” remarked Norwich Housing Authority Executive Director Jeff Arn. “The funds will allow the Norwich Housing Authority to remove the lead-based paint hazards from our Oakwood Knoll Development and help create safer homes for 74 families. Without this grant, it would have taken ten years or more to complete this work. Now, we will complete this project within 24 to 36 months and quickly mitigate all lead-based paint hazards on the property and create a more appealing place for our families to call home.”

According to HUD’s American Healthy Homes Survey II, more than 34 million homes in America have lead paint somewhere in the building, and approximately 3.3 million homes—including more than 2 million low-income households—across the country have children less than six years of age facing one or more lead-based paint hazards, including over 2 million low-income households. Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this unfortunately results in more than 1 million children suffering from the irreversible impacts of lead poisoning, including reduced intelligence, behavioral and learning disabilities, and effects on many other body systems. Lead-contaminated dust from chipped or peeling lead-based paint is one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to lead paint exposure because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Adults with exposure to lead can develop symptoms such as high blood pressure, memory loss, and reduced motor skills. 

Learn more about each of the awards announced today through the Capital Fund Housing-Related Hazards (HRH) and Lead-Based Paint (LBP) Capital Fund programs.