Portland Gets Another $3 Million from HUD for Lead Abatement in 300 Homes.

National HUD PR is HERE. 

Local HUD PR with more details is HERE on MS SkyDrive. From that PR: 

The effort is a partnership with Multnomah County, the Healthy Homes Coalition of Multnomah County, the Community Energy Project, the Community Alliance of Tenants, the Fair Housing Council of Oregon and Growing Gardens.  This is the sixth Lead Hazard Control grant the City has received from HUD.  The first was awarded in 1998 and, since then, the City has addressed hazards in just under 1,600 homes

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

HUD Draft Environmental Justice Strategy Coming Friday for Public Comment.

On Friday October 7, HUD will be releasing its draft Environmental Justice strategy HERE; it will be open for public comment until November 14, 2011. 

Other Federal EJ strategies and more background can be found at the web page HERE. 

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Portland Gets $1 Million from HUD for Healthy Homes.

HUD PR is HERE; from project details:

The City of Portland, OR will receive $1,000,000 in Healthy Homes Production grant funds to complete environmental assessments in 200 rental units, complete healthy home interventions in 175 rental units, and conduct outreach and education at 144 community events. The City of Portland will partner with Multnomah County Health Department and REACH Community Development in this program.

Portland Housing Bureau has more details about this collaborative program with Multnomah County Health Department HERE.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Smoke Free Public Housing Authorities.

I noticed that Detroit is considering plan to declare PH units as smoke free; from Smoke-Free Environments Law Project in Ann Arbor found listing HERE of 225 PHA's around the country that have created smoke free environments in some or all of their projects. 

Was pleased to see that Oregon has 14 PHA's that have banned smoking in some or all of their units, with list pasted below: (If anyone knows additional Oregon PHA's let me know and I update this and will add them to the list). 

Clatsop

Columbia Cascade

Coos-Curry

Jackson

Lane

Linn-Benton

Marion County

North Bend

Northwest Oregon

Portland

Salem

Umatilla

Washington

West Valley

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Moisture Testing and Building Envelope Standards Part of Oregon House Legislative Hearing.

Not clear if this is just SF or whether it includes MF.

House Consumer Protection and Government Accountability Committee, Thursday-September 23, 1 PM, Hearing Room E.

Agenda includes:

Moisture Testing Requirements for New Residential Structures

-Pat Allen, Department of Consumer & Business Services

-Scott Barrie, Oregon Homebuilders Association

Building Envelope Warranties

-Craig Smith, Construction Contractors Board

-Jon Chandler, Oregon Homebuilders Association

Committee agendas are HERE.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Off Topic: CRS Report on Climate Change Legislation-Costs and Benefits of Cap-and-Trade Provisions.

New comprehensive 100 page report from Congressional Research Service on climate change bill (H.R.2454) is HERE.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

EPA Provides Heads Up on Planned New Lead Rules.

"August 26, 2009 - EPA intends to strengthen requirements it issued in 2008 to protect children from lead-based paint poisoning associated with renovation and repair activities in homes and schools. EPA will propose to expand lead-safe work practices and other protective requirements for renovation and painting work involving lead paint to cover most pre-1978 housing, and after certain renovation, repair, and painting preparation activities are performed to require renovation firms to perform quantitative dust testing to achieve dust-lead levels that comply with EPA's regulatory standards. Renovations on the exteriors of public and commercial buildings will also be proposed to be covered and EPA will evaluate whether renovations in the interior of these buildings create lead-based paint hazards.

EPA will undertake three separate rulemakings to expand coverage and strengthen requirements of the 2008 RRP rule, which will take full effect on April 22, 2010. These rulemakings will be available for public comment. The agreement was part of a settlement of litigation by the Sierra Club, the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning, and other public interest petitioners over the April 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, issued under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address lead-based paint hazards created by common renovation activities in homes, child care centers, and schools built before 1978.

These proposed amendments to the 2008 RRP rule would result in reduced exposures to lead-based paint hazards for young children, the most sensitive population, as well as for older children and adults. Read EPA's press release."

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.