TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents, and any subsequent amendments, between the City of Long Beach and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to accept American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding in the amount of $3,874,939 for the Healthy Homes Initiative ($874,992) and the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program ($2,999,947) for a period of three years from April 1, 2009 through March 31, 2012; and increase appropriations in the Health Fund (SR 130) and in the Department of Health and Human Services (HE) by their respective amounts for a total of $3,874,939. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded funding to the Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) for the Healthy Homes and Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Programs as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which became effective on February 17, 2009. The awards total $3,874,939 in grant funds, and will contribute to controlling or removing health hazards from homes in the City. Due to the timely application by the Health Department for these funds, the City received two out of only eight awards that were given in the State of California. These funds will assist in retaining existing Health Department staff, create four new temporary jobs at the Health Department, as well as support private remediation contractors who will likely retain or generate new jobs in Long Beach.
The Healthy Homes Initiative (HHI) will provide home environment assessments and housing-based hazard remediation for families of children with asthma to reduce or eliminate asthma and allergy triggers. Community education efforts will also increase knowledge and awareness of asthma and allergy triggers in the home environment, and empower residents to reduce or eliminate these triggers. HHI program services will be targeted in zip codes 90813 and 90805, althou...
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