Letter to Shaun Donovan, Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development- Restore Funding Eligibility for City of Syracuse

Letter

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Representative Dan Maffei, today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan expressing concerns regarding the future of the City of Syracuse's nationally recognized lead abatement program. As a result of HUD designating the City of Syracuse as "high risk," the City is currently ineligible to apply for future federal funding for lead removal. The letter requests that HUD remove the "high risk" designation so the City of Syracuse is able to apply for the next round of funding through the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC).

"Cutting off the entire City of Syracuse from receiving federal lead control grants is unacceptable and wrong," said Schumer. "Thousands of Syracuse families depend on these grants to protect their children and keep their homes safe, and I am urging HUD to remove its classification of Syracuse as "high-risk,' which effectively prohibits the city from receiving these grants altogether. The City of Syracuse's lead abatement program is now fully compliant with HUD regulations, and there is no reason the people of Syracuse should be penalized for what happened in the past."

"Ensuring that our homes are safe and healthy place for our children is a priority," said Senator Gillibrand. "Lead-based paint is known to cause severe mental and physical health problems in children and the Syracuse lead abatement program has helped countless residents make their homes safer. I urge HUD to remove Syracuse's "high risk' designation, so they can continue to have access to the resources protect residents from exposure to dangerous lead-based paint."

"Lead-based paint poses a serious health risk to countless children throughout the City of Syracuse," said Rep. Maffei. "Over the past two decades, the City's lead abatement program has rehabbed hazardous conditions in nearly 2,500 homes. We urge HUD to remove this "high risk' designation so the City of Syracuse can continue its work to provide safe living conditions to some of the most vulnerable in our community."

HUD gave the City of Syracuse a "high risk" designation following an on-site review conducted in November 2012 in which the agency identified four key program deficiencies in the City's lead abatement program. As a result of these deficiencies, HUD imposed a repayment order and future funding restrictions on the City. The City responded in a timely manner to all of the findings, yet HUD has continued to designate the City as "high risk."

The text of the letter is below:

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May 30, 2014

The Honorable Shaun Donovan
Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W.
Washington, DC 20410

RE: City of Syracuse Lead Hazard Control Program


Dear Secretary Donovan:

We write to express our concerns regarding the future of the City of Syracuse's nationally recognized lead abatement program. Following an on-site review that your agency conducted in November, 2012, four key program deficiencies were identified and the City's lead abatement program was given the high risk designation. Subsequent to the notification of findings, your agency also imposed a repayment order and future funding restrictions on the City. Despite a timely response to all of the findings, the City's high risk designation remains in effect and will inhibit their ability to apply for the next round for funding through the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC). This status places the future of their program and the health of countless children in jeopardy.

Since its inception in 1994, the City of Syracuse Lead Hazard Control Program has rehabbed dangerous lead conditions in nearly 2,500 residencies using grant funds from HUD's Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Demonstration (LHRD) program and matching funds from the City, approximately $3.4 million between 2009 and 2012, to complete this lead abatement work. On November 29th and 30th of 2012, HUD conducted an on-site review of the activities related to 2009, 2010, and 2012 awards. The purpose of the review was to monitor compliance with grant requirements, including a limited review of the financial records associated with the grant. Following this review, OHHLHC informed the City of several findings including the conclusion that their presumptive model was no longer in line with OHHLHC's guidelines.

Upon receiving notification of the findings and a high risk designation, City officials acted quickly to revise their abatement processes to align with the current guidelines and address the other findings. Subsequently, these changes were accepted by OHHLHC. After review of work conducted under the past presumptive model, OHHLHC then informed the City that they would need to repay $1,481,660 for ineligible costs associated with the City's 2009 ($809,964), 2010 ($602,487), and 2012 ($69,209) grant activities before the high risk designation would be removed. These costs had already been reviewed, approved and reimbursed by OHHLHC.

Our immediate request is for the high-risk designation to be removed from the City of Syracuse while the issue of repayment is discussed. Upon OHHLHC's issued findings in January 2013, the City of Syracuse acted quickly to amend its processes. This quick action, validated by your agency, allows the City to continue spending its existing funds but has placed access to future funding at risk. Once the high-risk designation is removed, we request your agency meet with City officials regarding the repayment order of $1,481,660.

In all of its twenty years of operation, the Syracuse program has never received a negative finding. We urge you to restore this program's eligibility and status. The health of countless children depends on a timely conclusion.

Please do not hesitate to contact Corey Driscoll in Representative Maffei's office at Corey.Driscoll@mail.house.govor 315-423-5657, or Angelo Roefaro in Senator Schumer's office at Angelo_Roefaro@schumer.senate.govor 315-423-5471, or Margaret Franklin in Senator Gillibrand's at Margaret_Franklin@gillibrand.senate.govor 202-224-4451, should you require any additional information as we work towards an amenable solution.



Sincerely,