FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 16, 2008

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $500,000 IN HUD GRANTS FOR DUST CONTROL AND AIR QUALITY STUDY AT CLARKSON UNIVERSITY

Funds Will Be Used to Study Flooring Choices to Eliminate Allergens in Low-Income Households

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control Program has awarded $500,000 in Healthy Homes Technical Studies funds to Clarkson University. The money will be used to study the re-suspension of particles from carpeted and uncarpeted floors for use in dust control and improvement of air quality.

“The asthma epidemic is exploding among our youth and air quality is an essential step to reducing the allergens that cause it,” said Schumer. “Poor indoor air quality is a prime culprit in the asthma epidemic and these funds will Clarkson University determine the best flooring choices for low-income households to help control dust and improve air quality.”

The Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC) oversees seven grant programs under the Program Management and Assurance Division.  The OHHLHC provides funds to state and local governments to develop cost-effective ways to reduce lead-based paint hazards. In addition, the office enforces HUD's lead-based paint regulations, provides public outreach and technical assistance, and conducts technical studies to help protect children and their families from health and safety hazards in the home.

Because carpeting is less expensive than hard wood flooring, using it has significant economic benefits for any affordable housing unit construction. The Clarkson University study will provide the needed basis for affordable housing program managers to make informed decisions on flooring choices with respect to limiting exposures to particles that could cause allergens and asthma. The researchers will quantify the re-suspension of dust particles from human activities, model human exposures associated with re-suspended particles, and communicate the results and associate recommendations in a clear, effective manner.

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