Healthy Homes Making an Impact - January 2025

• By: admin
• On: 01/21/2025 00:01:47
• In: HUD News

ICYMI: HUD Awards More Than $226 Million to Protect Families from Home Health Hazards

Recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded more than $226 million to state, county, city, and Tribal governments, and to non-profit organizations, to protect children and families from home health hazards.

This funding is awarded to entities across 33 states, four Tribes, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and will protect families and children by addressing significant health and safety hazards. It will also support increasing local capacity for conducting lead hazard control and additional healthy homes interventions, developing local workforces by training and hiring housing renovation and repair contractors (especially local small businesses) and housing hazard assessment professionals, and researching efficient methods for identifying and addressing housing-related hazards.

Radon Policy Highlights 

• Last year, HUD published its departmentwide radon policy notice, Departmental Policy for Addressing Radon in the Environmental Review Process
• Radon testing is not required, but mitigation is required if the method used to consider radon shows levels at 4.0 pCi/L or greater.
• It went into effect on April 11, 2024, for all non-tribal and recipients, and will be on January 11, 2026, for all Tribes, Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE), and Department of Hawaiian Homeland (DHHL) recipients.
• On these dates, REs and HUD staff must consider radon as part of any non-tiered environmental review (ER) that is not yet certified, regardless of where they are in the ER process.

Tiered reviews:

• For tier 1 and tier 2 reviews completed prior to the effective date: HUD strongly recommends compliance with the policy for any in-progress and new tier 2 reviews, but do not require it
• For tier 1 reviews in-progress during or started after the effective date: you must comply with the policy for the tier 1 and all subsequent tier 2 reviews.
• The Notice provides one recommended best practice and three alternative options for considering radon in the contamination analysis:
• Preferred, Best Practice: ANSI/AARST radon testing and mitigation standards.
• Alternative strategies that can be used (if testing not otherwise required by law/reg):
• Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Testing: Use of individual DIY home radon test kits
• Continuous Radon Monitoring Devices: for use by trained local government staff in remote areas.
• Review of science-based data on radon in the area where the project site is located: state/tribal geologic data, CDC radon test data. National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network Data Explorer (cdc.gov)
• Note: Actual testing for radon is not required under the Notice
• If use of any of the above methods determine that indoor radon levels are or may be above 4 pCi/L, then the RE must document and implement a mitigation plan.
• The mitigation plan must: identify the radon level; describe the radon reduction system that will be installed; establish an ongoing maintenance plan; establish a reasonable timeframe for implementation; and require post-installation testing by a licensed radon professional, where feasible.

Funding Opportunities

Advancing HUD's Learning Agenda through Cooperative Agreements with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native/ Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions

On January 10th, HUD/PD&R issued the above funding opportunity. This NOFO provides $10 million to advance knowledge in the housing and community development field while strengthening research capacity within eligible minority-serving institutions.

PD&R has identified a subset of research questions adapted from HUD's Learning Agenda that are the focus of this NOFO. The research questions are grouped under seven broad topic areas:? (1) Community Development and Place-Based Initiatives, (2) Disaster Recovery, (3) Fair Housing, (4) Homelessness, (5) Homeownership, Asset Building, and Economic Opportunity, (6) Housing and Health, and (7) American Indian, Alaska Native, and/or Native Hawaiian Housing Needs.? We are committed to involving a greater range of perspectives, methods, and researchers in HUD research and policy development, and believe that MSIs are uniquely positioned to address the selected research questions in a manner that could amplify the impact of the research findings at the state and local level.? 

Interested institutions are encouraged to visit PD&R's webpage for minority-serving institutions. Potential applicants should carefully review the NOFO for the application instructions. Applications are due April 9, 2025.? For more information on this funding opportunity, please visit HUD's NOFO webpage or grants.gov. Any questions from potential applicants can be sent to MSIResearchFY24@hud.gov

HUD has an external listserv aimed at reaching a broader range of potential applicants. This initiative seeks to inform individuals and organizations about programs they might not typically consider applying for. Register here.

Upcoming Events

Let's Chat: Building Partnerships Between Housing and Federally Qualified Health Centers

 January 15 

 2-3 pm ET 

Are you curious about how housing agencies and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can work together? Join us for a relaxed, interactive conversation where we'll brainstorm, share ideas, and introduce exciting tools to get partnerships started or take them further.

Housing and Services Resource Center: National Webinar on Emerging Findings To Strengthen Housing, Health, and Social Care Partnerships

 January 16

 3 pm ET 

Join the Housing and Services Resource Center (HSRC) for the second national Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator (HSPA) webinar. Presenters will share the achievements states experienced throughout the 2024 HSPA 12-month opportunity. Participants will learn about the growing array of HSPA and related HSRC resources to support state and local efforts to align housing, health, and social care.

The Roles of Health Centers in Reducing the Burden of Radon-Induced Lung Cancer Webinar Series

 January 21 and 28

 2 pm ET 

NNCC and the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) are partnering with HUD's Office on Healthy Housing and Lead Hazard Control to present a two-part webinar series on radon exposure and its impact on residents of public housing.

Join speaker Brenda M. Reyes, MD, MPH, Director, Policy and Standards Division, for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to explore the health risks of radon exposure and how health centers can implement impactful prevention and mitigation strategies. Discover how a public housing-focused health center successfully conducts radon testing, prevention, and patient education to protect vulnerable communities. 

Environmental Health H Nexus Webinar:  Radon Risk Reduction Initiatives in Tribal Communities

 January 27

 2 pm ET 

Environmental Health H Nexus Webinar:  Radon Risk Reduction Initiatives in Tribal Communities | January 27, 2025 | 2:00pm to 3:30pm ET

Subject matter experts from CDC, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Nez Perce Tribe Air Quality Program, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development will serve as presenters for this webinar.

During this webinar, you will learn about:

• How radon impacts Tribal communities.
• The importance of radon testing and mitigation.
• National and Tribal initiatives to raise awareness about radon and reduce exposure.

This webinar will be broadcast via Zoom. Visit the Environmental Health Nexus website for more details.