The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing $7.7 million to remove lead from homes and HUD-assisted properties in the Syracuse area as part of a more than $420 million package in national funding announced by the agency on Friday.
The Onondaga County Community Development Division will oversee the funding, according to HUD. Cities across New York state were awarded a combined $36.8 million to combat lead hazards, improve housing hazard identification and prevent and expand research and services.
Receiving funding are New York City ($7 million), Albany ($5 million), Schenectady ($4 million), Popomona ($7.4 million) and Mayville ($5.7 million), according to HUD.
Research shows lead exposure can result in permanent health implications.
National and state organizations and Central New York doctors and activists this week demanded an emergency response and greater transparency in Syracuse to high lead levels in some of the pipes in the city. Syracuse’s water supply comes from Skaneateles Lake. Lead is sometimes present in water pipes that connect older homes to the water system, or in fixtures and home plumbing, according to the city.
The city said this week that more than 3,000 lead services will be replaced in the next year, thanks, in part, to $22.8 million in awarded funding.