Real Estate News

HUD Report Calls for Greater Action to Reduce Injuries to Seniors in the Home

WASHINGTON - Approximately one-third of adults age 65 years or older fall in their home, resulting in injury, long-term disability and premature institutionalization. By 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the cost related to these kinds of injuries to be nearly $60 billion a year. In an effort to reduce and prevent falls and their associated costs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released a wide-ranging report recommending a more holistic approach to seniors aging-in-place and their health needs.

Released during National Healthy Homes Month, HUD's report, Overcoming Obstacles to Policies for Preventing Falls by the Elderly, recommends government and philanthropic organizations work together at every level to integrate fall prevention strategies and support efforts to aging-in-place, senior safety at home, and continuous care models.

"Active programs that coordinate senior care and implement fall prevention strategies can benefit seniors enormously," said Jon L. Gant, Director of the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. "This report helps policy makers and program managers to identify the causes of problems they may encounter, as well as the resources and methods they can use to overcome them." Additionally, HUD's report contains a toolkit highlighting numerous funding sources and the rationale for outreach to non-traditional partners to improve delivery of services and care to seniors. The toolkit covers four key areas:
• Why senior falls prevention and coordinated care is an important issue for the nation and what some communities are doing to meet the needs of seniors;
• What partners and stakeholders should be engaged, what each can offer to this effort, and why a holistic approach may provide the best potential;
• What financial resources, from all levels of government to health insurers and philanthropies, may be available to help create and sustain effective policies and programs; and
• How to sustain policies and programs over the long-term.

Developed by HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) and Healthy Housing Solutions, this report is based on an extensive review from literature and feedback from a distinguished expert panel actively engaged in and familiar with senior falls prevention programs and strategies to overcome obstacles to implementation.

"Most people want to stay in our homes and communities as we age," said Noreen Beatley of Healthy Housing Solutions, the report's author. "Strong fall prevention programs help achieve that goal while lowering health care costs and helping improve seniors' quality of life."

HUD Awards $127 Million to Protect Children and Families from Dangerous Lead and Other Home Hazards

Funding to Make Low-income Housing Safer and Healthier

WASHINGTON - In a continuous effort to keep families and their children safe from lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded more than $127 million to 48 state and local government agencies.

The grant funding announced today will reduce the number of children with elevated blood lead levels, and protect nearly 7,600 families living in homes with significant lead and other home health and safety hazards. HUD’s Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant programs have a proven history of success, filling critical needs in communities where no other resources exist to address substandard housing that threatens the health of the most vulnerable residents.

Today in Washington, DC, HUD Secretary Ben Carson announced the new funding during an event that featured a panel discussion about the importance of public and private partnerships to the work of healthy homes. With HUD celebrating June’s National Healthy Homes Month, Carson said he wants to make lead paint hazard removal a top priority.

“Children perform better at school and in life if they live in a healthy home,” said Secretary Carson. “A healthy start at home translates to a successful life outside of the home. HUD is committed to working with local communities to eradicate lead paint poisoning to make sure our homes are safe and ensure positive outcomes for families and their kids.”

“Millions of families and children are seeing their hope for the future threatened by poor health simply because of where they live,” noted Jon L. Gant, Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. “This round of funding includes awards to eight cities that are receiving grant awards for the first time. We are pleased the program is expanding into these previously unserved communities.”
Unsafe and unhealthy homes affect the health of millions of people of all income levels, geographic areas, and walks of life in the U.S. These homes affect the economy directly through increased utilization of health care services, and indirectly through lost wages and increased school days missed. Housing improvements help prevent injuries and illnesses, reduce associated health care and social services costs, reduce absentee rates for children in school and adults at work, and reduce stress—all which help to improve the quality of life.

HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards from lower income homes; encourages private sector investment in lead hazard control; supports cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educates the public about the dangers of hazards in the home.

The funding announced today directs critical funds to cities, counties and states to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards in thousands of privately-owned, low-income housing units. As part of these awards, HUD is providing these Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grantees just over $14 million in Healthy Homes supplemental funding to help communities mitigate multiple health hazards in high-risk housing simultaneously, in conjunction with their lead hazard control activities.