Milwaukee awarded $5.6 million HUD grant to protect children and families from lead hazards in the home

MILWAUKEE, WI – On September 30, 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that the City of Milwaukee has been awarded $5.6 million for lead abatement.  The City of Milwaukee will address lead hazards in 320 housing units for low-income families with children between now and April 2023.  In addition, the City will conduct healthy home assessments and repairs in 114 units while working alongside medical and social service providers.

Mayor Tom Barrett, U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (WI-04), Vice President of Community & Environmental Health Rosamaria Martinez of Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, and Commissioner of Health Dr. Jeanette Kowalik convened today to speak about the importance of this award from the federal government, and to discuss the City’s ongoing commitment to creating healthier and safer homes for children and their families.

“We should all be proud that since 2004, the number of Milwaukee children with lead poisoning has decreased by over 70%,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “This award will help us reduce that number even further, and shows Milwaukee remains ready and able to fight lead poisoning”.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to receive federal funding for our childhood lead poisoning prevention program,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Jeanette Kowalik.  “This new round of federal funding will be leveraged along with others to eradicate lead from our environment.  Doing so will enable us to protect more children and families from the dangers of lead.”

Plans for grant-funded activities include:

• 400 properties assessed for lead
• 320 units enrolled and abated
• 114 of the 320 units would receive additional Healthy Homes work
• 40 individuals trained and hired for lead abatement work

The City of Milwaukee Health Department and partners on the grant will focus on secondary prevention, addressing homes of kids with lead poisoning.

The City of Milwaukee will partner with Sixteenth Street and SDC to share information about lead poisoning at community outreach education events.

Additional partners include Department of Neighborhood Services, Community Advocates, and Housing Authority for the City of Milwaukee (HACM).

More than $314 million in funding from HUD has been awarded this week to 77 state and local government agencies to protect families from lead and other health hazards in the home.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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