NAHMA HUD Update: OLHCHH Takes Collaborative Approach in Fighting Radon Exposure

January 11, 2022

Dear NAHMA Members,

Please find below an announcement from HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) regarding agency efforts to combat radon exposure. This includes access to a webinar recording on ways to address radon concerns, information on how to properly identify and safely fix radon problems, and additional educational materials, factsheets, and resources.  

For more information, please view the announcement below.

Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes

HUD's OLHCHH Takes Collaborative Approach in Fighting Radon Exposure

We join other federal agencies and partners during National Radon Action Month

Throughout January, HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) joins federal and other partners in renewing our dedication to the National Radon Action Plan.

 

Radon rates second, only to smoking, as a leading cause of lung cancer in the United States of America. Unlike many other indoor environmental health hazards, this threat cannot be seen, smelled or even tasted such as some household poisons. View HUD's Radon Factsheet.

 

Consider viewing this webinar recording on “Building Partnerships to Increase Radon Awareness.”  This in-depth session covers radon educational programs in Georgia and North Carolina, the diverse partnerships developed in those states to address radon concerns, and offers suggestions for finding radon collaborative partners in other states.

 

Some ways that HUD is focusing on radon include:

  • Preparing to conduct a demonstration program to provide $4 million for radon testing and mitigation in public housing. The OLHCHH and Public and Indian Housing are working closely together on this competitive program.
  • Establishing new requirements for radon testing and mitigation for several categories of OLHCHH grants.
  • The OLHCHH and the Office of Public and Indian Housing are partnering to develop more specific radon guidance materials for Public Housing Agencies (PHAs), including creating awareness.

Most states have a radon office that can provide information on how to properly identify and safely fix radon problems, as well as a list of qualified radon professionals (for state contacts, see: https://sosradon.org/state-radon-contact-map).   Radon Information is also available through the National Radon Hotline 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236) (TTY:711).

 

To learn more about educational materials for the general public and housing owners, managers, and professionals, please visit www.hud.gov/healthyhomes