Provide funds to public housing agencies (PHAS) across the country with legal authority to develop, modernize, and operate housing projects in accordance with the 1937 act

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control awarded the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority $539,542.16 under the Healthy Homes Weatherization Cooperation Demonstration Grants program (CFDA 14.901) on May 15, 2025, with a completion date of May 14, 2028. The grant funds a radon testing and mitigation demonstration project in public housing units managed by the authority in Dayton, Ohio. Under this award, the authority will conduct radon testing in selected units according to American National Standards Institute and American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists protocols, with testing performed by professionals credentialed by the National Radon Proficiency Program or National Radon Safety Board. For any units testing at or above the EPA action level of 4 picocuries per liter, the authority will perform radon mitigation activities.

The primary deliverables include comprehensive radon testing data, mitigation activities in affected units, and documentation of testing and mitigation methods and costs for HUD's evaluation of program effectiveness. This demonstration project contributes to the federal program's broader goal of evaluating sustainable strategies for addressing residential health hazards in lower-income households and generating evidence on the cost-effectiveness and outcomes of radon interventions in public housing environments.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to provide funds to public housing agencies (PHAS) across the country with legal authority to develop, modernize, and operate housing projects in accordance with the 1937 act. PHAS competitively apply for funding and once they're awarded, they must use the funds to test for radon in units that they manage. The units selected for testing is left to the discretion of the PHA. However, the testing must be done in accordance with the requirements stipulated in III.F.2 of the radon testing and mitigation demonstration nofo. If the testing shows elevated radon levels at or above the EPA action level of 4PCI/L, the PHAS are required to conduct radon mitigation in the units with elevated levels. Additionally, the work supported through this award will also provide HUD with important information on methods and costs for radon testing and mitigation in public housing

Activities

Under this award, the units selected for testing is left to the discretion of the PHA. However, the testing must be done in accordance with the requirements stipulated in III.F.2 of the radon testing and mitigation demonstration nofo.) more specifically, the radon testing must be conducted by or under the supervision of a professional who is currently credentialed by the national radon proficiency program (NRPP) or the national radon safety board (nrsb.) the individual must also be licensed/certified in the state in which the work is being conducted if the state has this requirement. All radon testing must be conducted in accordance with the protocols specified in the current american national standards institute and the american association of radon scientists and technologists (ANSI/AARST) practice standard for the particular building type (i.e., mamf-2017 with 2021 revisions or MAH 2019) as located at https://standards.AARST.ORG. If testing identifies elevated radon levels, radon mitigation must be conducted by a professional who is credentialed by the NRPP or nrsb and licensed/certified in the state in which the work is being conducted, if required by the state. Radon mitigation must be conducted according to the current ANSI/AARST consensus standards for the specific housing type (i.e., RMS-MF 2018 or SGM-SF 2017 with 12/2020 revisions. Project outputs include the number of units tested for radon, the number of units with elevated radon levels and the number of units mitigated with elevated radon levels

Expected outcomes

This award is to fund phas to conduct testing and as-needed mitigation of radon in the units that they manage and where applicable, to support the development of a plan for future testing and mitigation. The work supported by this award is expected to: 1. Reduce the potential risk of residents' exposure to radon in units that are managed by phas. 2. Support the development of a plan for future testing and mitigation in units managed by phas. 3. Provide HUD with important information on methods and costs for radon testing and mitigation in public housing. 4. Broaden the focus of environmental interventions in homes to address other non-lead poisoning concerns such as radon exposure

Intended beneficiaries

The residents who live in housing developments managed by public housing agencies

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not intend to subaward funds