The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that more than $117 million is available to eliminate dangerous lead-based paint hazards from lower income homes and protect young children from lead poisoning. The grants are being offered to States and local governments through HUD's Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Programs.

"There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our children, and these grants are a significant investment in their futures," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "These grants will support the efforts of state and local governments to clean up lead hazards in order to protect young children and their families from the lasting effects of lead poisoning."

Even though lead-based paint was banned for use in the home in 1978, HUD estimates that approximately 24 million homes still have significant lead-based paint hazards today. Lead-contaminated dust is the primary cause of young children's lead exposure and can lead to a variety of health problems, including reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, reduced height, and impaired hearing. At higher levels, lead can damage a child's kidneys and central nervous system and cause anemia, coma, convulsions and even death.

Applicants for this funding may be State, Tribal or local governments. Applications may be downloaded from the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control's Website at www.hud.gov/lead. The application provides instructions, including submitting proposals by Federal Express (FedEx), United Parcel Services (UPS) and overnight Express Mail delivery services. The deadline for receiving grants is 5:00 PM eastern time, July 20, 2009.

This year, HUD is announcing individual funding opportunities for programs as they become available, an action that will speed up the application process for those seeking HUD funding and who would otherwise be required to wait for the publication of HUD's comprehensive funding notice for all its competitive grant programs.