City of Muskegon Receives $1.5M HUD Grant to Make Homes Healthier, Safer

Some 130 City of Muskegon families to receive help making their homes safer, healthier

MUSKEGON, MI – The City of Muskegon received a highly competitive federal Housing and Urban Development grant for $1.5 million to protect the city’s most vulnerable families from home health and safety hazards.

Approximately 130 low-income family homes will receive the assistance to address lead-based paint, indoor air quality, mold and moisture, pests and carbon monoxide among other health and safety hazards. The city’s Community and Neighborhood Services Department in the coming weeks will begin establishing the application process for city families to seek support from the funds.

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A recent home in the 600 Block of Ada renovated by the city for a low-income family.

Muskegon is one of three governments and agencies in Michigan and among 60 nationwide in 29 states to receive a share of the $104.7 million in Healthy Homes Production Grant Program funds. The city has a long history of successful use of HUD funds to support low- and moderate-income families. In the past year alone, 25 housing units had lead abatement, 21 energy efficiency repairs, six with vinyl siding, and 23 with infrastructure repairs.

“This award will allow us to serve even more citizens in our community by providing the resources needed to address household hazards that negatively impact health,” said Stevie Parcell, CNS Grants Program Coordinator. “We’re eager to help create a healthier Muskegon County through this program. Our impact will only become greater in the coming years through this new award.”

The significance of the Healthy Homes Production Grant Program is that it takes a comprehensive approach to addressing childhood diseases and injuries by coordinating the improvement of family homes rather than addressing one health or safety issue at a time.

“City staff has done an excellent job of identifying and attracting resources for the betterment of our city and its residents,” said Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson. “This grant combined with our current federal housing allotments and our original state lead abatement grant will allow us to make a significant improvement in the living conditions of some of our most vulnerable residents.”