Two recent notices lay out requirements for testing for and mitigating the effects of radon gas in assisted housing. HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) issued a notice, PIH 2013-6, providing public housing agencies (PHAs) information about the dangers of radon gas and encouraging PHAs to test for and mitigate radon if possible. HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs issued Notice H 2013-3 setting out a required process for identifying and mitigating radon in properties covered by new FHA Multifamily Insured mortgage applications. The notice supplements the environmental review requirements of Chapter 9 of the Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) Guide.Radon is an odorless and colorless gas that is a natural decay product of elements in soil and rock. Radon is present in every part of the nation, with concentrations varying depending on geological conditions. Breathing high concentrations of radon gas directly, or indirectly when attached to dust, may result in lung cancer. Radon generally poses the greatest risk to those at or below ground level or at new structures built without radon-resistant construction methods.
Click here for the federal Radon Action Plan, released by the Environmental Protection Agency in June 2011. Click here for PIH 2013-6. Click here for Notice H 2013-3.