City of St. Petersburg to be Awarded $2.5 Million from HUD to Make Homes Safer and Healthier

St. Petersburg is the only city in Florida to receive these federal funds

Aug. 24, 2023 - The City of St. Petersburg was recently awarded $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to protect children and families from lead-based paint hazards.

St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch said, "All families deserve to live in healthy and safe environments in their own homes. Unfortunately, lead-based paint continues to remain a serious safety issue, particularly in older homes that tend to be the most affordable for some residents of our community. I'm proud of the work we've already done to address lead hazards in our community, and grateful that this funding will ensure this important work continues."

St. Petersburg is among 36 state and local government agencies in 19 states that were awarded funding from HUD's Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant program and its new Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building grant program. St. Petersburg is the only city in Florida that was awarded funding.

The funding will be used to implement a new lead hazard reduction program, which will build local capacity to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in privately-owned rentals or owner-occupied housing, with emphasis on underserved residents of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) through a multi-stakeholder effort. More about the City's new lead hazard reduction program will be released at a later date.

Read HUD's press release here: https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_23_174