Press Releases

Easton, PA – Today, Congressman Matt Cartwright announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead Based Paint Hazard Control (LBPHC) Grant Program will award the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development $1,650,000 to implement a lead-based paint remediation program.

The $127 million in awards announced nationally today by HUD will direct funds to cities, counties, and states to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards. As part of these awards, HUD is providing the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control grantees over $14 million in Healthy Homes supplemental funding to help communities mitigate multiple health hazards in high-risk housing in conjunction with their lead-hazard control activities. The Northampton County DCED was one of two award recipients located in Pennsylvania.

“With many homes built before 1978, Pennsylvania’s are at risk for lead-based paint exposure and other home hazards,” said Congressman Matt Cartwright, a member of the Hazards Caucus Alliance. “Every family home that we help remediate will improve lives and our economic outlook as fewer days are missed from school and work and less stress is placed on our health care system. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am a strong advocate for programs aimed at mitigating risks to our health and prospects, and I applaud Northampton County for its efforts to develop this vital initiative.”

The Northampton County DCED received $1,500,000 for lead-based paint remediation and educational outreach and a supplemental award of $150,000 to fund mold identification, smoke detectors, and the identification of unsafe or unhealthy conditions present in the homes.

“This award supports a creative program designed to provide real solutions to the challenges our neediest citizens face throughout the County, keeping healthy and safer home environments,” said County Executive John A. Brown.  According to Northampton County DCED Director Tim J. Herrlinger, “the grant will be used with our partners the City of Easton and the City of Bethlehem to help a greater number of citizens throughout Northampton County to improve their living spaces by removing the dangerous effects of lead, helping to bring more households up to a safer living standard.”

HUD’s Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant programs have a history of successfully filling critical needs in communities where no other resources exist to address substandard housing that threatens the health of the most vulnerable residents. These grants are managed through HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes which works to eliminate lead paint and other housing-related health hazards from lower income homes; encourage private sector investment in lead hazard control; support research on assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educate the public about the dangers of hazards in the home.