6:00am | According to a press release from the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department), the department has received a $2.4 million federal grant to eliminate home health hazards, including lead-based paint and asthma and allergy triggers. Nearly $2 million will be spent directly on abating or controlling lead related hazards in homes in Long Beach, under the three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Long Beach was one of only four entities in California to receive the Lead-Based Paint grant, and has previously received more than $10 million in similar grants to assist thousands of residents.
“The City of Long Beach has a large number of pre-1950’s homes, which may harbor health risks such as lead-based paint, pest infestation and mold,” said Dr. Mauro Torno, Interim City Health Officer. “These HUD programs assist in identifying public health risks in the home and removing or controlling them.”
The second component of the grant, the Healthy Homes Program ($180,000), offers a comprehensive delivery of interventions intended to improve the health of children with asthma, reduce housing-related environmental hazards contributing to asthma and allergies and reduce safety hazards contributing to unintentional injuries.
The grant will target Downtown, Central and North Long Beach.
For more information about lead hazard control, healthy homes, or other environmental health programs offered by the Health Department, visit www.longbeach.gov/health/eh or contact Michael Netter, Lead Program Coordinator, at 562-570-4484.