The Healthy Neighborhoods Program (HNP) is a FREE program committed to creating healthier neighborhoods one home at a time by reducing environmental health and safety issues in the home. HNP provides in-home safety visits with FREE safety supplies for qualifying Broome County residents.

Schedule your free home safety survey using the referral form at the top of this page. For more information, call 607.778.2847.

Lead is a toxic substance that is commonly found in deteriorated lead paint in homes, especially those built before the mid-1970’s. Broome County Health Department can provide free inspections to help local property owners and tenants identify potential lead hazards in their homes and aid them in correcting the hazards in a lead-safe way. We offer:

• FREE lead safety educational materials
• FREE lead hazard screenings of eligible housing
• FREE advice from an EPA certified Risk Assessor on how to control lead hazards cheaply and effectively
• FREE EPA Lead Renovator training for eligible property owners, managers and maintenance personnel
• Some FREE lead-safe work supplies (primer, brushes, cleaning supplies, protective equipment) per eligible housing unit
• One FREE property clearance test per unit after lead hazard control work is finished

Schedule your lead inspection using the referral form at the top of this page. For more information, call 607.778.2847.

Visit the New York State Department of Health to learn how you can protect your children. Learn about common sources of lead exposure from the CDC.

HUD Lead Hazard Reduction Grant funding is available through Broome County Health Department to address lead-based paint hazards in privately-owned housing units in Broome County built before 1978. Remediation work may include painting, enclosure, removal, and replacement of windows and other surfaces or components that contain lead hazards.

Certain eligibility requirements must be met, including occupant income (not the income of property owners, if the unit is a rental). Review the HUD grant application to learn or to apply. Call the Broome County Health Department at 607.778.2847 for more information.

Broome County Health Department offers an 8-hour EPA Lead Renovator Training once a month. This training is required under the EPA Remodeling, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule for anyone doing window replacement or disturbing paint (more than 6 square feet of interior paint or 20 square feet of exterior paint) in a pre-1978 home for compensation, including rent, such as painters, contractors, maintenance personnel, landlords, plumbers, etc.

Call us at 607.778.2847 for a schedule of classes or to sign up for the next one. Trainings are also available through:

• Environmental Education Associates
• CNY Environmental Institute
• Link Environmental Services Incorporated
• Connor Institute

What makes a neighborhood healthy?

Is it green space to think or friendly people next door? A safe street to play on and clean air to breathe? Sidewalks with enough room for strollers, runners, and dog walkers? There are many different ways that a place can be healthy.

To celebrate Healthy Neighborhoods Day and Healthy Homes Month in April 2024, Broome County Health Department held a photo and art contest that was open to all Broome County residents to find out what a healthy neighborhood means to YOU!
 

And the winner is...

Amelia, aged 10, from Binghamton!

We love Amelia's use of color and the way she included public health messaging with signs that say "no smoking!" and "no polluting!" But most importantly, she addressed the importance of caring for the people who live alongside you, a crucial part of a healthy neighborhood. Congratulations, Amelia!