February 10: Congresswoman Kaptur Delivers on Promise to Get $2 Million Restored to Cleveland’s Lead Paint Efforts
"The restoration of eligibility for this critical federal funding is great news for the City of Cleveland and, more important, for the safety and well being of Cleveland area families," Congresswoman Kaptur said.
On January 11, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it would terminate $2 million for Cleveland over concerns related to the program's management by the Department of Public Health.
That same day, Kaptur organized a call to speak personally with the Assistant Secretary of State for Intergovernmental Affairs and the Director of HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. A representative from the office of U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge and the Cleveland Mayor's office also participated in the call at Kaptur's invitation.
"As soon as the story broke, I picked up the phone to talk with HUD officials in Washington to see what could be done to restore these funds to Cleveland," said Kaptur, a senior Member of HUD's funding committee in the House.
Kaptur raised the matter directly with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan at President Obama's State of the Union speech stressing the need to rectify the loss of funds to the city. Kaptur and her office stayed in daily contact with HUD officials working toward a successful resolution.
"The City of Cleveland's program had clearly run into some problems, but we worked with the Mayor's office to assure HUD officials that Cleveland had taken immediate steps to reform the program," Congresswoman Kaptur said. "One in five children in Cleveland has dangerously high levels of lead, an often debilitating condition. Getting the paperwork right is the City's responsibility. But we must do everything we can to insure that the errors of bureaucracy do not interfere with insuring the health of children," said Kaptur. "I appreciate Secretary Donovan and the Obama Administration's effort to help us make this right."
In a letter issued today, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development formally overturned the decision, and informed the City of Cleveland that the $2 million in funding for the City's lead cleanup program will be restored if benchmarks are met by February 28, 2012.
Congresswoman Kaptur, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, fought vigorously against the reduction in nationwide HUD funding in the lead poisoning programs. Kaptur, a housing expert having served in the White House's Urban Affairs Office and on the U.S. House's Housing Committees since the 1980s, is currently a member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
Click on the image below to read the entire letter.
