Cattaraugus County Health Department Awarded $2.5 million
HUD Lead Capacity Building Grant
Olean, NY – The Cattaraugus County Health Department in partnership with the Allegany County Health Department received a $2.5 million Housing and Urban Development Lead Capacity Building Grant. The purpose of the grant is to develop the infrastructure necessary to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in homes in both counties.
Bruce Haber, a representative of the Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH), will present the grant award to County officials at a ceremony on Thursday, October 26, at Operation Warm Hearts, 920 North 4th Street in Olean. Media and the public are welcome to participate.
“We are thrilled to be recipients of the Lead Capacity Building Grant because we have such a high need in both of our counties,” said Melissa Chamberlain, Registered Nurse at the Cattaraugus County Health Department. “This grant will allow us to develop the infrastructure needed to help so many children and families in our communities.”
The presentation takes place during Lead Poisoning Prevention Week which is October 22 – 28. This year’s theme is “together we can prevent lead exposure.” Lead presents a hazard to those living in homes that were built before 1978, particularly to children. Nearly 70 percent of the homes in Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties were built before 1978.
“One-time exposure to lead poisoning isn’t the most damaging but often people don’t know they have been exposed and children are most vulnerable,” said Dr. Kevin Watkins, Public Health Director at the Cattaraugus County Health Department. “We recognized the importance of collaboration on this initiative. Working with our colleagues in Allegany County and with other community partners like Operation Warm Hearts will help us to address this important issue affecting so many children in our communities.”
Some of the results of lead poisoning include irreversible loss of IQ, auditory processing difficulty, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), poor control of emotions, lack of impulse control, increased likelihood of dropping out of school, delinquency, and even incarceration. As a result, young people may get inappropriately labeled which may mark them for life.
Other places lead lurks include water from contaminated pipes, some spices and cosmetics from Asia and Africa, some toys, and jewelry. Proximity to factories or other places like small airports may also contribute. Small owner-operated planes may still use leaded fuel.
Communities are considered for the Lead Capacity Building Grant if they align with the strategic goals outlined by HUD such as supported underserved communities, advancing housing justice and sustainable communities, and creating a more accessible and inclusive housing system. The grant allows both counties to develop much needed infrastructure to ensure these goals are met.
This grant will also supplement the work already supported by the Healthy Neighborhoods Program, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs, and the Lead (Pb) Smart Partnership. For more information about the grant, please reach out to either the Cattaraugus or Allegany County Health Department.