The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that it has taken ‘significant steps towards eliminating radon exposure in renter-occupied homes’ with new policies that incorporate radon testing and mitigation into HUD programs.
HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing now requires radon testing and, if applicable, mitigation for most new Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured construction, conversion and substantial rehabilitation projects, as well as most FHA-insured refinance transactions. Radon testing and mitigation are not required for refinance projects located in low risk areas, or if a certified Radon Professional determines that radon risk is sufficiently low for the project.
Furthermore, a notice published by HUD's Office of Public and Indian Housing informs public housing agencies about the risks from radon exposure and points out that the best way to mitigate radon is to prevent it from ever entering a building. The notice strongly encourages these agencies to proactively plan and complete radon testing and mitigation.
‘We are confident that this policy will effectively mitigate the risks of radon exposure for residents of FHA-insured multifamily housing in a sensible and cost-effective way,’ says Marie Head, deputy assistant secretary of HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing Programs.
