Menendez, Booker Announce $2.7M to Make Homes Safer, Healthier

Statement

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) today announced $2,774,110 in federal funding to support organizations in Mercer and Morris counties in their mission to make low-income housing healthier and safer for families.

"No New Jerseyan should live in a home riddled with lead, mold, pests or any other dangerous hazards," said Sen. Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. "I applaud the awardees of this grant for their commitment to improving the safety of homes for low-income families, which will significantly improve their quality of life. The cost of inaction is far too great for our kids, families, and communities."

"It is vital that every New Jerseyan has a safe place to live, especially during this public health crisis," said Sen. Booker. "This federal funding will help community organizations address health and safety hazards such as lead-based paint, mold, and pests in low-income housing which will help keep vulnerable families safe during this critical time."

$1,597,946 is being awarded to Morris Habitat for Humanity and $1,176,164.81 is being awarded to Isles, Inc., a community development and environmental organization based in Trenton. Both organizations will use federal Healthy Homes Production Grant funding to identify health and safety hazards in low-income families' homes and then address issues such as mold and moisture, poor indoor air quality, pests, carbon monoxide, injury and safety hazards and lead-based paint. Collectively, both organizations will be able to make 202 units healthier for families.

Sen. Menendez has long fought for federal resources to make homes safer, including removing lead from homes and ensuring children are protected from the dangerous long-term health effects caused by lead poising.

Last year he introduced the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act and the Preventing Lead Poisoning Act. Sen. Menendez and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) highlighted the federal funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that Bloomfield, N.J. is using to replace lead water pipes throughout the township. The Senator and Congresswoman were the chief sponsors of the SMART Act, which was the model for the state and local flexible funding that was allocated in the ARP.

The senator's CO ALERTS Act, which requires carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in federally assisted housing, was included in the FY2021 spending bill. In 2020, Sens. Menendez Booker, along with Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) announced a $3.4 million Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant for the City of Paterson to remove lead paint in 65 low-income housing units with children.

In 2019, Sens. Menendez and Booker passed legislation to provide states with greater financial flexibility to upgrade their water infrastructure. Each year, Sen. Menendez fights for robust funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low-cost financing for a wide range of water infrastructure development projects in New Jersey and across the country. The SRFs have been a focal point in efforts to address the lead crisis in drinking water across the country.

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