Funds will remove lead hazards in 200 homes
information provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
GALESBURG, Ill. (December 20, 2018) – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has received a $3.6 million grant from HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes for a 2018 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction (LHR) Grant.
The grant will assist Galesburg, Illinois, with the remediation of lead hazards in 200 low-income housing units over a 42-month period, building upon previous actions taken by the state to assist the Knox County community in reducing elevated blood lead levels in children. The 2015 Lead Surveillance Report by the Illinois Department of Public Health indicated that Galesburg had one of the state’s top rates of elevated blood lead levels in children; 14.4% of tested children showed elevated levels.
“The City of Galesburg is very thankful to the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for applying for this grant on the City’s behalf and to the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for selecting the project,” said Mayor John Pritchard. “Through this grant, we will be able to take a big step forward in reducing lead in children’s environment though removing lead paint hazards in approximately 200 low income homes in the City of Galesburg.”
DCEO will work with the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Knox County Health Department, the City of Galesburg and Western Illinois Regional Council to implement the lead hazard reduction program.
The grant funding is broken down as $3,000,000 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant program funding, and $600,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. The federal grant will be matched by $400,000 from Galesburg’s portion of DCEO’s Revolving Loan Fund Closeout program.
