HUD grants Milwaukee $5.6M to help with city's lead problem

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – The City of Milwaukee will be getting help in the form of federal money to deal with lead paint in homes.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced Tuesday, October 1 that the city is receiving a $5.6 million grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to continue to address the lead paint problem in homes.

Mayor Barrett made the announcement alongside Congresswoman Gwen Moore and the city’s Health Commissioner, Jeanette Kowalik, at the 16th Street Community Health Centers’ Chavez Clinic on the city’s south side.

The organization tests children for lead and does home visits to help address the problem.

The city is receiving $5 million from the “lead based paint hazard reduction grant.” It will receive another $600,000 from the “Healthy Homes Supplemental Funding.”

The city will use that money to address lead hazards in 320 housing units to provide safer homes for low-income families with children.

Mayor Barrett says the grant will help them continue the work they’ve been doing for years.

“Since 2004, the City of Milwaukee has put $66 million into lead abatement and lead poisoning reduction and we've had very significant results. Over 17,000 housing units have been made lead safe, over 70 percent fewer kids tested for lead poisoning,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

The city will also perform 114 healthy home assessments as part of the grant to help keep kids safe.