Healthy Homes Grant HUD AppMEMORANDUM
May 24, 2002
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Application for Healthy Homes Grant
Housing and Community Development Director David Harris recommends execution of
an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a
Healthy Homes Initiative Demonstration Grant in the amount of $1,000,000 to promote
cost-effective measures to correct multiple safety and health hazards in home
environments.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
David Harris, Housing and Community Development Department
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
May 23, 2002
To: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager
From: David Harris, Housing and Community Development Department
Re: Application for Healthy Homes Grant
Introduction
The purpose of this memorandum is to request the City Council to authorize an
application to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for
a $1,000,000 Healthy Homes Initiative demonstration project in Census Tracts 1,
2, 5, 6, 7.01 and 7.02 to promote cost effective measures to correct multiple
safety and health hazards in home environments.
Background
Since January 1992, the City of Dubuque has addressed childhood lead
poisoning, first in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH),
and then by conducting its own Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
(CLPPP). In 1997, Dubuque was awarded a Round 4 HUD lead-based paint
hazard control grant to make 470 properties located in the downtown area
occupied by very Iow to moderate-income families lead-safe. This program has
initiated many cost-effective measures to prevent and eliminate childhood lead
poisoning in the City of Dubuque and has built local capacity through informed
citizens, trained contractors, workers, educated landlords and property owners.
Highlights of our Round 4 HUD lead-based paint grant accomplishments are as
follows:
· Since 1997, Lead Hazard Reduction Program staff have inspected over
520 units, identifying lead hazards for renovation and have made grants to
property owners to make 400 units lead-safe. 61 of these units were
made lead safe in partnership with the Housing Rehabilitation program,
during the course of major rehabilitation work. 70 units will be made lead
safe during the remaining term of the grant.
· Trained and certified contractors and workers have added to the local
capacity. 91 have retained their lead contractor certification and 159
workers have been certified. Further, 54 people have been trained in an
eight-hour safe work practice course.
· Lead screening rates among area pediatricians are among the best in the
State of Iowa. Lead levels among children from birth to 6 years of age
with blood lead levels greater than 10 mg/dL have decreased from 13.98
to 11.9% in the four years that the lead hazard reduction program has
been operating. This rate is still twice the national average of 5.9% but
lower than the State average of 14.8% for the percentage of children
under the age of six who are lead poisoned. 56% of children with blood
lead levels greater than or equal to 20-ug/dL drop below that level in six
months. The percentage increases to 77% in twelve months.
· In the area of public education and awareness, the community has been
exposed to print media, billboards and bus signs, community conferences,
demonstration projects, and how-to information. Lead poisoning and
problems that the City faces have been kept at the forefront of community
consciousness and the public has changed in the way residents look at
the dwelling in which they live and the way they do home repairs. The
results have been an informed public, an informed medical community and
informed families about how to prevent lead poisoning and how to treat
children who have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead in their
environment.
· Ongoing educational materials are distributed through educational
displays located at the Housing and Community Development
Department, Library, WIC, VNA, Keystone and the Dubuque Community
Schools early childhood development centers. How-to information is also
distributed at local hardware stores and wherever paint products are sold.
· In the area of development of community partners, the Health and
Housing and Community Development Departments have established a
vital partnership that is the envy of many other communities, states and
organizations. Believing that lead poisoning prevention is both a housing
and a health issue, collaboration between these two departments has
been essential to the establishment of improving childhood health and
establishing healthy homes and neighborhoods.
· Additional community partnering in the process of elimination and control
of childhood lead poisoning has been necessary in reducing this
preventable health problem. The Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association, the
CD Commission, the Dubuque Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Coalition, the Iowa Workforce Development Program, the various
neighborhood associations and civic groups all have been involved in the
process of building an established infrastructure and capacity for lead
hazard reduction activities for the future.
· Specialized training, tools and equipment have been purchased and made
available to put training and tools in the hands of homeowners, tenants
and landlords so that they can safely and easily make properties ready for
occupancy without having to purchase high cost equipment to achieve
lead safe housing. Free training has also been provided for contractors,
workers and property owners so that repairs can be made knowledgeably
and safely.
· The Lead Hazard Reduction Program has become a clearinghouse of
information and expertise on lead hazard reduction techniques, providing
training and how-to proficiency to area property owners about how to
safely remove, enclose or cover lead paint hazards.
· All work done under the program by the property owners, contractors and
city staff is protected under an insurance pollution liability policy, providing
protection in the event that an environmental pollution exposure occurs.
· The Lead Hazard Reduction Program also provides inspection and dust
sampling services to the Section 8 Assisted Housing program, to comply
with the new HUD lead paint regulations. HEPA vacuums and expertise
are offered to participating landlords to assist them in meeting the new
clearance requirements.
· In addition to preventing childhood lead poisoning, the Lead Hazard
Reduction Program staff has responded to cases of childhood poisoning,
completing environmental investigations and offering financial incentives
for repairing units in a lead safe manner.
DISCUSSION
This application is for a Healthy Homes Initiative demonstration project for
$1,000,000 to be jointly administered by the Health Services and Housing and
Community Development Departments. Proposed is the continuation of our
primary lead-based paint poisoning prevention program and additional initiative
to combat other housing related environmental hazards including allergy and
asthma prevention, mold control education, fire and burn safety education, radon
mitigation, carbon monoxide poisoning prevention, accidental poisoning
prevention, electrical safety, and roach control.
BUDGETIMPACT
If funded, this grant would be awarded in April 2003, with work commencing
immediately following the conclusion of our Round 4 HUD grant program in
March 2003. This grant application totals $1,000,000.
RECOMMENDATION
The comprehensive Healthy Homes Initiative demonstration project described in
this grant application provides a significant benefit to the City of Dubuque. This
grant application is designed to continue to build a community foundation and to
prevent our community's children from suffering from the effects from years of
lead-based paint use, environmental health risks and substandard housing. This
comprehensive program will establish healthy homes - healthy neighborhood
activities as the standard operating procedure for rehabilitating, maintaining and
cleaning owner and renter occupied housing. This grant program will
demonstrate and educate the people of Dubuque so that our children need not
suffer from preventable pediatric health problems. Through education,
demonstration and renovation, childhood diseases and lead poisoning will
become yesterdays problem and protecting our community's children will
become the common practice for the future of our City.
ACTION STEP
The action requested of the City Council is to authorize the Mayor to execute a
standard application and supporting certifications to the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, in response to a Notice of Funds Availability
for a Healthy Homes Initiative demonstration grant, in the amount of $1,000,000.
Prepared by: Kathaleen Lamb, Senior Housing Inspector
CC: Mary Rose Corrigan, Public Health Specialist
RESOLUTION NO. 277-02
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN APPLICATION
FOR A HEALTHY HOMES INITIATIVE DEMONSTRATION GRANT
Whereas, the City of Dubuque has operated a local childhood lead
poisoning prevention program since 1994; and
Whereas, the City received Round 4 lead hazard removal funding, in the
amount of $3.69 million; and
Whereas, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has
made available additional funds for a Healthy Homes Initiative program, including
lead-based paint hazard control, lead hazard awareness, healthy homes public
education and community outreach, and environmental assessments and
treatments to impact a variety of household health and safety issues; and
Whereas, the City of Dubuque proposes a Healthy Homes Initiative
program in Census Tracts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7.01 and 7.02 in the City of Dubuque. The
new proposed application is for a project to promote cost effective measures to
correct multiple safety and health hazards in home environments.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1: That the Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to execute
an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a
Healthy Homes Initiative demonstration Grant in the amount of $1,000,000.
Section 2: That the City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to
forward said application and resulting standard executed contract to the
respective agencies in a timely fashion and as required by the U. S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development.
Passed, approved and adopted this 3rd day of June, 2002.
Terrance M. Duggan, Mayor
Attest:
Jeanne F. Schneider
City Clerk