SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE $10+ MILLION FOR WESTERN NY COMMUNITIES TO REMOVE LEAD PAINT HAZARDS FROM AGING HOMES; SENATORS SAY INVESTMENT WILL PROTECT THE HEALTH AND[...]

Federal Lead Hazard Reduction Program Will Boost City Of Buffalo And Niagara County To Help Rid Homes And Communities Of Lead Hazards

Schumer Has Long Fought To Get The Lead Out Of Western NY - Securing Millions In Fed $$ To Remove Lead Hazards From Homes - And Latest Investment Will Boost Efforts Even Further To Rid Homes Across Upstate NY Of Toxic Lead Paint

Schumer, Gillibrand: Fed $$$ Is A Shot In The Arm To Protect Western NY's Children And Public Health

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $10,280,387 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Program. The senators explained that the funding will be used to address lead-based paint hazards, improving the health of children and families in Erie and Niagara Counties.

"No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for children. Today, I am proud to deliver more than $10 million for communities in Western New York to remove lead paint from homes to protect our children and public health," said Senator Schumer. "Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future. This major federal funding is the shot in the arm that these regions need to boost lead paint removal and prevention and protect the health and safety of families in Upstate NY."

"Everyone deserves a home free of potential health risks, yet thousands of New York families are exposed to dangerous lead paint daily," said Senator Gillibrand, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Housing Subcommittee. "This exposure is especially harmful to children, who are at disproportionate risk for adverse effects. I'm proud to deliver this funding from the Housing Appropriations bill that I negotiated to help clear hazardous lead paint from homes in Buffalo and Niagara County, and I won't stop fighting until lead paint is a relic of the past and no longer a threat to New Yorkers."

"The Niagara County Department of Health appreciates the support of our federal delegation in securing grant funding for our lead hazard programs," said Dr. Fauzia Khan, Director of the Niagara County Department of Health. "Preventing lead exposure before it impacts children is a fundamental public health priority. These funds will directly support ongoing efforts to identify and remediate lead hazards in homes across Niagara County."

"Every child in Buffalo deserves to grow up in a safe, healthy home, and our city's high rates of childhood lead poisoning made pursuing this funding a priority for my administration," Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said. "This investment will help homeowners and landlords make lead-safe repairs, prioritizing homes with children under six, while supporting the contractors and training needed to get the work done. I thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their support and our City team for securing this investment in healthier homes for Buffalo families."

Today's announcement includes $4,030,387 for the City of Buffalo and $6,250,000 for Niagara County. This funding builds on years of efforts by Schumer to help address toxic lead exposure across Western NY. Schumer in 2023 helped secure $3.3 million for Niagara County and in 2024 helped secure $5.75 million for Chautauqua County through HUD's Lead Hazard Reduction Program to bolster ongoing efforts.

Schumer has long been a driving force in securing federal funding to reduce lead exposure in New York. In addition to fighting lead exposure in paint, Schumer has also led the charge to increase federal funding to eliminate lead service pipes for drinking water in New York. The senator secured one of the largest federal investments ever into eliminating lead service pipes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, which includes a $15 billion carve-out within the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) over 5 years ($3 billion every year) for lead service pipe replacement.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children's developing nerves and brains. Lead-based paint, still encasing the walls of many homes, often erodes and settles on children's toys on the floor, eventually falling into the hands and mouths of children. For children under the age of 6, lead exposure can result in developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues, which may lead to lifelong health and financial consequences. Schumer has long advocated for protecting New York's children and families in the past by securing millions of dollars in federal funding to eradicate these toxic elements from homes in order to reduce lead poisoning cases. Lead poisoning can cause developmental difficulties, physical pain, and neurological damage.

Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand, as ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Housing Subcommittee, secured $295.6 million for HUD's Lead Hazard Reduction Program when negotiating the fiscal year 2026 funding bill that was enacted earlier this year. The purpose of HUD's Lead Hazard Reduction Program is to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned housing for rental or owner-occupants. These grants are used to assist municipalities in carrying out lead hazard control activities.

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