LEAD-BASED PAINT ABATEMENT IN FEDERALLY-ASSISTED HOUSING

WHEREAS, in 1992 Congress passed Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, which requires control or abatement of leads-based paint in housing assisted by Community Development Block Grant or HOME funds; and

WHEREAS, HUD has promulgated regulations, which became effective September 15, 2000, requiring communities receiving CDBG and HOME funds to undertake interim controls or abatement of lead-based paint in any housing rehabilitation undertaken with such funds; and

WHEREAS, recognizing that the effect of the regulations would add substantially to the cost of federally-assisted housing rehabilitation and that in many areas of the country there was insufficient capacity to fully implement the regulations, HUD worked with national organizations like the U.S. Conference of Mayors to ease the impact of compliance by:

• Allowing communities transition period to build capacity
• Providing training
• Undertaking a study to determine the full cost of compliance; and

WHEREAS, there are two statutory changes that would be beneficial in implementing the regulations, including elderly owner-occupied housing where no children reside or spend substantial time in the home (e.g. family child care), and raising the threshold for emergency repairs from $5,000 to $10,000,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors hereby calls on HUD to:

• Allowing communities transition period to build capacity
• Providing training
• Undertaking a study to determine the full cost of compliance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors hereby calls on Congress to enact statutory changes to exempt owner-occupied elderly housing and first-time homebuyer housing where there are no children residing or where substantial time is not spent in the home (e.g. family child care) from the regulation and to increase the threshold for emergency repairs, such as replacing a roof or a furnace, (where the issue of lead-based paint does not need to be addressed) from $5,000 to $10,000.

Projected Cost: Unknown