From Mayor Bill Finch:
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded the City of Bridgeport’s Lead Free Families Program with a grant worth $2,499,960 to protect children and families from the hazards of lead-based paint and from other home health and safety hazards.
The City of Bridgeport’s Lead Free Families Program will address lead hazards in 110 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children. The City of Bridgeport will also perform healthy homes assessments as needed. This project is a collaborative effort with the City’s Health Department, Central Grants, Housing and Community Development departments.
“I am very proud of our lead prevention efforts and thankful to HUD for awarding the City with $2.5 million to help our Lead Free Families Program provide safer, healthier homes for these targeted housing units,” said Mayor Bill Finch.
The City of Bridgeport’s Lead Free Families Program is an intervention and prevention program to reduce lead hazards for low and very low income children age six and under in targeted neighborhoods throughout the City. The overarching goals of the project are to protect all children from serious effects of lead poisoning and identify and treat children who have been affected by lead poisoning.
The Bridgeport Lead Free Families Program has targeted neighborhoods with high poverty rates, increased incidents of lead poisoning and a majority of housing stock built prior to 1980.
Bridgeport was one of 84 local communities awarded by HUD. The City of New London and the State of Connecticut were also awarded. A full list of the programs awarded grants today can be found online at: portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2013/HUDNo.13-080
Bridgeport residents interested in learning more about lead prevention can log on to www.healthyhomesbridgeport.org
What skewed priorities HUD has. Please help the struggling people who need help fixing their homes instead of piling on more laws and requirements. Please help people make their mortgage payments. Please fund a program that will address all the vacant houses on the East Side of Bridgeport, get them out of the bank’s hands, out of limbo foreclosure, into the hands of people who will care for them. Stop funding these programs that harass people and fund political positions. Thank you.