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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmemoCITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO : FROM : The Honorable Mayor and Members of The City Commission Joe Arriola City Manager DATE: SUBJECT: October 21, 2004 FILE : Accepting FY'2004 Miami Unleaded Grant from U.S. HUD REFERENCES : City Commission Agenda ENCLOSURES: November 18, 2004 RECOMMENDATION: It is respectfully recommended that the City Commission adopt the attached resolution accepting U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S.HUD) grant for the Miami Unleaded program for FY'2004 to provide a comprehensive approach to lead hazard control in the City of Miami, by making it a part of every rehabilitation, renovation and repair units built before 1978 where lead -based paint is present and increase the Department of Community Development's Table of Organization by six full time unclassified employees; further authorizing the City Manager to execute the necessary documents, in a form acceptable to the City Attorney, to implement acceptance of said grant. BACKGROUND: U.S. HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control has informed the City of Miami that a grant in the amount not to exceed $3,000,000 has been awarded for its Miami Unleaded Program for FY'2004. City of Miami is considered one of the highest risk areas for lead poisoning in the nation. It is estimated that 66% of lead poisoning cases in the City reported from 1999- 2003 occurred in 7 target areas: Allapattah, Coconut Grove, Edison/Little River, Little Havana, Liberty City/Model City, Overtown and Wynwood. This is due to high lead content used in paint for homes built before 1979. Eighty one percent of the housing units in the City of Miami were constructed before 1979, presenting serious risks for lead hazards. Estimates show that extremely low income, low income and moderate income households occupy 73,406 of the housing units that have a potential for lead hazards. Approximately 77% of these units are located within the target areas. Households with very low income ($12,100 or less) occupy the largest number of units with lead paint hazards. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that lead -based paint and lead- contaminated dust is the major source of lead exposure among U.S. children. The total population for children under 6 years of age in the entire City of Miami is 22,122; total number of children residing in high risk areas is 17,827. Through Miami Unleaded lead hazard control will be a part of the day to day operations of the Rehabilitation Program. Matching funds from both Community Block Grant (CDBG) funds and State Housing Initiative Partnership Funds will be utilized to ensure that the goals of Miami Unleaded are achieved. The goals of Miami Unleaded are: • Establish an Inter -Agency Miami Unleaded Agreement with Miami Dade County (Departments of Health, Environment and Housing) and the State of Florida Departments of Environmental Protection and Health • Create an integrated, comprehensive lead poisoning prevention program • Perform 270 Lead Hazard Control Interventions and match with CDBG and SHIP funds to leverage higher level housing and health code compliance for complete Healthy Homes • 75% of the residents and property owners in the target communities will be educated on lead hazards, the steps they need to implement for primary prevention and how to access resources to remediate these hazards safely and effectively • In a three year period, 900 children will be tested under the age of six in the target communities — including children of undocumented residents and increase screening of Medicaid children by 25% • Establish a relocation plan and Lead Safe Relocation units for temporary or emergency relocation • Ensure rehabilitation contractors utilize lead- safe work practices through education and enforcement; train and certify local residents for work in lead hazard control • Establish a broad- based community outreach program to ensure prevention and sustainability of hazard control work — including the replication of key tools created by the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning and other national Best Practices This program is designed to incorporate and enhance existing components of the Consolidated Plan FY 2004-2009, which offers a five year strategy to serve the low income residents of the City of Miami, increase affordable housing stock in the City and establish coordination between public and private organizations in reducing the incidence of childhood lead poisoning in Miami's most at risk communities. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Commission adopt adopt the attached resolution accepting U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S. HUD) grant for the Miami Unleaded program for FY'2004 to provide a comprehensive approach to lead hazard control in the City of Miami, by making it a part of every rehabilitation, renovation and repair units built before 1978 where lead -based paint is present and increase the Table of Organization by six full time unclassified employees; further authorizing the City Manager to execute the necessary documents, in a form acceptable to the City Attorney, to implement acceptance of said grant. The p;osed Resolution does not have a budgetary impact on the General Fund. LMH