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Schumer announces $5.75M to fight lead-based paint in county

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced $22,467,061 in federal funding for four state regions from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program.

Schumer explained the funding will be used to address lead-based paint hazards, improving the health of children and families across Upstate in Onondaga, Albany, Schenectady, and Chautauqua counties with $5.75 million coming here.

“Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future,” Schumer said. “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 across Upstate New York.”

This funding builds on years of efforts by Schumer to help address toxic lead exposure across Upstate NY. Most recently in 2023, Schumer helped secure $6.3 million in federal funding for Broome County, nearly $4 million for Utica, and $3.3 million for Niagara County through the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program to bolster ongoing efforts.

According to the Chautauqua County Community Needs Assessment that was compiled by Chautauqua Opportunities Inc., the county has some of the oldest housing in the state and the country. According to the U.S. Census 2020, 45% of homes in Chautauqua County were built between 1940 to 1979 with 38.7% of the county’s homes built before 1939. Only 1.9% of the county’s homes were built since 2010. That means 78.2% of homes were built in 1979 or earlier, which is around the time that lead-based paint was determined to be a health hazard and discontinued.

Schumer has long been a driving force in securing federal funding to reduce lead exposure in New York. In addition to fighting lead exposure in paint, Schumer has also led the charge to increase federal funding to eliminate lead service pipes for drinking water in New York. The senator secured one of the largest federal investments ever into eliminating lead service pipes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, which includes a $15 billion carve-out within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund over 5 years for lead service pipe replacement.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 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 in the past 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.

The purpose of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. These grants are used to assist municipalities in carrying out lead hazard control activities.

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