WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Charles B. Rangel joined city officials this week in East Harlem welcoming a three-year $549,000 grant awarded to Housing and Urban Development to combat asthma. The grant is the first-ever to be awarded to HUD to take on conditions that exacerbate asthma.

"I commend HUD Regional Director Adolfo Carrión, NYCHA Chairman John Rhea and their teams for partnering with local community leaders and organizations such as the Little Sisters of the Assumption and the New York Academy of Medicine to combat asthma in East Harlem," said Congressman Rangel. "Many of the 7 million children in America who suffer from asthma unfortunately are  disproportionately found in our own neighborhoods. We must change the statistics." 

Over 25 percent of East Harlem's children suffer from asthma requiring hospitalization, the highest rate in New York. Approximately 18.5% of East Harlem children ages 4-5 have asthma, double the New York City and national prevalence rate; 23% of children ages 5-12 in the area suffer from asthma; students of Puerto Rican descent approach 35%.

The number of asthma cases nationwide has jumped 12% over the last decade and is now the leading cause of school and work absences, emergency room visits and hospitalizations among low-income minority populations in communities like East Harlem.

The HUD grant supports CAHR, which will be a collaborative project between the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Services, Inc., (LSA),  a community-based, non-profit organization devoted to improving the lives of East Harlem residents, and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). LSA will implement the project by conducting home assessments, performing remediation and hands-on training, and offering workshops, while NYAM will evaluate and measure outcomes and cost.

Families will be provided with information on household asthma triggers and trained how to reduce or eliminate household environmental conditions that exacerbate asthma symptoms such as mold, poor ventilation, pest infestation (roaches, bedbugs, and rodents), house dust and second-hand smoke. Recognizing that low-income families may lack the resources to buy the supplies and equipment needed to sustain environmental improvements, CAHR will offer loans of equipment, such as HEPA-filtered vacuums and air cleaners.

"Asthma is the single most common chronic disease among children, yet can be prevented with adequate care. Thanks to this HUD grant, local advocates and leaders on the frontlines of this important issue will have more resources to ensure that our youth can lead more active and healthier lives."

Rangel also noted that  May is Asthma Awareness Month, and encouraged constituents to visit places like the East Harlem Asthma Center, located at 161-168 East 110th Street, for preventive help in combating this medical condition. The Asthma Center opened last August to provide walk-in service, education and awareness materials and medical referrals for the community.

About LSA Family Health Service

The Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, Inc. (www.littlesistersfamiliy.org), a community-based, nonprofit organization, has been improving the lives of vulnerable families in East Harlem for over 50 years through healthcare and social services, education programs, advocacy, and crisis counseling. No family or individual is ever turned away because they cannot pay. Our innovative home- and center-based programs empower struggling families to access life’s basic necessities and strengthen the entire community. For LSA’s environmental health videos, visit http://bit.ly/LSA_Mold orhttp://bit.ly/LSA_Bedbugs.

About NYAM

The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) has been advancing the health of people in cities since 1847. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging, to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health, and to implement interventions that eliminate health disparities. For more information, please visit www.nyam.org.

About East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence

The East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence, which is part of the City’s PlaNYC initiative, aims to reduce these hospitalizations by 50 percent over the next five years.

The walk-in center will offer asthma related services free of charge, including on-site assessments, individual and group asthma education, social support services, intensive one-on one asthma counseling, referrals for medical care, and linkage to services to rid homes of asthma-triggering pests and mold. It will also include a library with educational materials and computers with internet access to help families learn the best asthma-managing strategies.

The East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence walk-in center is located at 161-168 East 110th Street (between 3rd and Lexington Avenues), and welcomes families from across the city.