Have Your Home Screened for Lead, Radon and Health Risks Through the Cortland County Healthy Homes Program

Matt Brooks: Good morning, I’m Matt Brooks on X101 Always Classic for another edition of Meet Cortland County. With me, well, members of the Healthy Homes Program. We got Hinal, epidemiology manager at the Cortland County Health Department, as well as Stacy, weatherization director, and Peter, program manager at CAPCO. First off, thank you for all joining me this morning.

Peter Martin: Glad to be here.

Stacey Henry: Glad to be here.

Hinal Patel: Glad to be here.

Matt Brooks: All righty. So, first off, this is a relatively newer program, the Healthy Homes Program. Hinal, can you tell me about the background of this program?

Hinal Patel: Yes. The Cortland County Healthy Homes Program is a partnership between the Health Department, CAPCO, and RHI. The Cortland County Health Department received the Healthy Homes funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, or better known as HUD. We oversee the grant and overall program and work with our partners. CAPCO works directly with homeowners and renters who are interested in the program. They help people through the application and eligibility process. And our third partner, RHI, focuses on community outreach and education. They help us get the information about the program out into the community, connect residents with the program, and provide education about healthy homes and housing-related health and safety concerns.

Matt Brooks: Thanks, Hinal. Now, you were talking about eligibility of the programs, and there’s a large scope of what is covered under this program. Peter, can you tell me a little more of the specifics on what would make a home eligible?

Peter Martin: So, the program’s targeted at homes built before 1978 in Cortland County, and the occupants need to meet the minimum income guidelines for the program. Our main goal is to target environmental hazards in the homes like lead and radon. Over 90% of homes in Cortland County were built before the lead ban in 1978, so there’s a lot of homes out there that could have lead paint in them. And 80% of homes in Cortland County have elevated radon levels in the basements.

Matt Brooks: And the scary part about that, too, is that both specifically radon and lead, it’s not something that really affects you as soon as you’re exposed to it. This is something that if you live in it, and especially if you’ve lived in Cortland County all your life, maybe not necessarily the same home, but you could have that continued exposure that really affects your health decades in, and you wouldn’t even know. Now, you got some eligibility. Maybe people don’t know if their home meets those requirements or if the specific work that needs to be done to that home applies to this program. Stacy, how would people figure that out? What’s the best way to say, “Hey, I think my home might be due for some work regarding lead and radon primarily, but how do they confirm about that eligibility?”

Stacey Henry: So as Peter said, it’s not only for homeowners, but renters as well, and there are income guidelines. If you are interested or curious, if you go to hellocortland.fun/healthyhomes, there’s a screen tool there where you can check your income, if your house is the right age. There’s little tools for you where you can confirm that your house is of that right age. And as always, you are more than welcome to call CAPCO. We have a wonderful staff. The number there is 607-344-3112. Again, that’s the CAPCO Weatherization Department, but we do field the calls and questions regarding the Healthy Homes Program.

Matt Brooks: And it’s something that, even if you’re unsure if your home or apartment would apply for such work, you want to make that application anyway, because it does help for future programs as well, correct?

Stacey Henry: Correct. So we ask that anyone that is curious, concerned, please go to that website. Again, it was hellocortland.fun/healthyhomes. The screen tool is there, and this allows us to collect the data, and that data will give us the information to compile all that data to make our case when we do go for more funding.

Matt Brooks: Yeah, because it’s so important, especially when you’re talking about a whole county of elevated levels and such. So, this one program wouldn’t necessarily be the one and done. You need to have continued support as the work gets done to fix up these homes. Again, a lot of homes, you said, what was the year again, Peter?

Peter Martin: 1978 is when they banned lead paint, but it still kind of was on the market for a couple years after, so pretty much the home would have to be built after 1980. So all the homes built before then very much have a possibility of lead-based paint.

Matt Brooks: And that doesn’t even take into consideration if somebody had some old paint cans lying around and started using that. So, it’s more important than ever to nip this before it really affects your health. Stacy, one last time, just in case people want to write down the phone number and the website again for the Healthy Homes Program, to learn about their eligibility and more, where do people go?

Stacey Henry: hellocortland.fun/healthyhomes, or call CAPCO 607-344-3112.

Matt Brooks: Well, I got to thank you all for joining me in the studio today on Meet Cortland County. It’s really important, especially since this is such an underlying issue that usually doesn’t affect you until it’s a little too late. So, again, thank you for joining me on Meet Cortland County.

Stacey Henry: Thank you.

Peter Martin: Thanks, Matt.

Matt Brooks: And this is X101 Always Classic. I’m Matt Brooks.