During Children’s Health Month, New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Applauds More Than $19 Million Headed to New Hampshire to Protect Children from Lead Poisoning

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), applauded the announcement of more than $19 million headed to New Hampshire from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Grant program to help protect families with small children from the dangers of lead-based paint exposure. Specifically, the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority is receiving $7.75 million, the City of Nashua is receiving $7.7 million and Sullivan County is receiving $4 million through the grant program.

“Lead-based paint poses a serious health threat to children, and in states like New Hampshire where many of our neighborhoods have older housing stock, we must make every effort to protect families,” said Senator Shaheen. “This federal funding will help protect Granite State children from lead poisoning and exposure to other dangerous contaminants in their homes.”

“New Hampshire’s children need safe places to live in order to thrive, but lead-based paint in older homes continues to jeopardize their health and development,” said Senator Hassan. “This federal funding to fix homes with lead paint is not only an important investment in the health of our children, but it also will preserve access to affordable housing in New Hampshire – giving more Granite Staters the safe homes and communities that they deserve.”

“The science is clear: there is no safe amount of lead exposure—particularly for young children,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “I’m pleased to join the rest of the delegation in welcoming these resources heading to Nashua, Bedford, and Newport to help remediate older homes and apartments that contain lead paint and protect our communities from hazardous chemicals.”

“The health of our children must always be a top priority, and protecting them from lead and other hazardous materials is essential in this effort,” said Congressman Pappas. “These funds will help New Hampshire families address lead-based paint and other health issues within our older housing supply to ensure our kids can grow up in a safe environment. I’ll continue working to address the needs of our children, families, and communities.”

As a Senior Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen helps lead an annual letter with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) to fellow appropriators requesting funding for the Office of Lead Control and Healthy Homes at HUD, which administers the Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes grant programs, as well as funding for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Shaheen and Hassan helped negotiate, and the full delegation supported, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invested a historic $15 billion to identify and replace lead service lines. 

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