Update HUD regulations, policies, and procedures following the regulatory process required by the amended Lead Safe Housing Rule, in consideration of CDC's lowered BLRV of 3.5 ug/dL.
Status
On January 17, 2025, HUD published a Federal Register notice to modify its EBLL threshold under its Lead Safe Housing Rule from to 5 to 3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (µg/dL) for a child under the age of 6, consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's current blood lead reference value of 3.5 µg/dL.
As of July 17, 2025, the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH) informed HUD OIG that HUD has drafted a joint notice for HUD offices impacted by the modified elevated blood lead level (EBLL) threshold. These offices include OLHCHH, the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD), the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs (MF), and the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH).
OLHCHH’s timeline to finish implementing the recommendation:
- The notice will enter the clearance process by the end of August.
- CPD, MF, PIH, and OLHCHH will publish the final joint notice by September 30, 2025.
The estimated completion date for these actions is September 30, 2025. The original estimated completion date was June 30, 2024, and was revised to account for the time required to (1) receive and review public comments on HUD’s proposed change to the EBLL threshold and (2) coordinate the implementation of the EBLL threshold change across the impacted HUD offices.
Analysis
To fully address this recommendation, OLHCHH must provide evidence that HUD has updated its regulations, policies, and procedures so that they are consistent with CDC’s lowered BLRV of 3.5 ug/dL.
Implementation of this recommendation will help ensure children living in public housing with EBLLs receive effective environmental interventions.