WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced a $5 million grant to the Wilmington Housing Authority in New Castle County from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Capital Fund Lead-Based Paint Program. The Capital Fund Lead-Based Paint Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding to identify and eliminate lead-based paint hazards in public housing.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that no Delawareans live in an environment that puts them at risk of lead poisoning,” said Senator Carper. “I’m proud to announce that this Department of Housing and Urban Development funding will improve health outcomes and ensure that every Wilmington family, especially low-income families, is safe from lead poisoning.”
“Children and families up and down Delaware deserve safe and healthy homes, and that starts by eliminating the risk of lead poisoning in and around the house,” said Senator Coons. “Since day one, the Biden administration has fulfilled its commitment to protect Americans from lead exposure that may affect physical and mental development or lead to lifelong sickness or death. I am proud to celebrate this federal grant that will make homes safer and healthier for low-income families and communities of color in Delaware that are disproportionately affected.”
“Every Delawarean deserves to have peace of mind that they are safe in their homes – from the air they breathe to the water they drink,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “With this federal grant, the Wilmington Housing Authority will be able to tackle the lead-based paint impacting public housing throughout Wilmington head-on. I applaud the Biden administration for their commitment to helping Delawareans get back that peace of mind, and I am proud to be a partner in creating healthier and safer housing in the First State.”
“The Wilmington Housing Authority is grateful to have the opportunity to receive this grant and make improvements to infrastructure that support some of our most vulnerable children and families. The grant will give the Wilmington Housing Authority the ability to expedite identifying and eliminating lead-based paint hazards much faster than we were previously able and will enhance our efforts to provide affordable and safe housing to the people we serve,” said Wilmington Housing Authority Executive Director Ray Fitzgerald.
“American families deserve a safe and healthy place to call home. However, in many older homes, lead-based paint can be a serious threat to the health and well-being of children,” said HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge. “This funding effort will help us identify homes where occupants are at risk of lead exposure and other health hazards, and build on our promise of a healthier, stronger country.”
HUD announced over $157 million in grants that went to 27 state and local government agencies to protect children and families from lead-based paint hazards and additional home health hazards. Included in that funding was $5 million that will go to Wilmington through the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program.