NEW BRITAIN — The federal government is committing $3.4 million to remove lead hazards from the homes of more than 180 low-income city families, federal lawmakers announced Monday.

The grant will also pay to evaluate the lead threat in more than 200 other homes in the city.

"Lead poisoning is always a danger in Connecticut, but the risk spikes in the summer, and we've got to do something about it. This grant will give hundreds of New Britain families much-needed peace of mind and safe homes to live in," U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in a statement.

"Lead can cause serious and irreversible damage — especially to kids — and Connecticut still has thousands of old homes with lead paint and old pipes," Murphy said. "Taking action to remove the threats now is a smart investment we can make for Connecticut families."

Local health officials for years have targeted lead contamination as a risk for children, but the city's extensive poverty and huge inventory of old homes has made it a persistent problem.

More than a decade ago, a task force concluded lead hazards in Connecticut are heavily concentrated in the poorest cities and towns. At the time, 83 percent of all reports of elevated blood lead levels among 1- and 2-year-olds came from just 15 large, poor communities, including New Britain.

"Housing stock in these areas tends to be older, and often in disrepair, greatly increasing the risk of lead poisoning for children residing in these areas," the task force reported.

Two years ago, Stanley Black & Decker provided a $500,000 gift to help a lead abatement program run by the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in conjunction with the city.

The new Department of Housing and Urban Development grant will pay for lead abatement at homes of 184 low-income and extremely low-income families. It will also pay for evaluations of 202 other homes, Murphy said in announcing the grant with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District.

"From Flint to New Britain, we have seen the danger lead poisoning poses to communities across the country, and in particular, to our nation's children," Blumenthal said. "By addressing lead hazards head-on, this critical federal grant will help ensure that New Britain children and their families are growing, playing, and learning in safe, lead-free homes."

The state public health department reports nearly 60,000 Connecticut children under age 6 suffered lead exposure in 2013. The lead levels in the blood of another 2,275 youngsters were high enough to be classified as lead poisoning.

Connecticut Children's Medical Center reports that it gets more lead poisoning cases in the summer, when children are home from school. Families open windows during the season, disturbing contaminated paint and dust in the sills.

Lead paints were banned in 1978, but the National Center for Healthy Housing reports that almost three-quarters of Connecticut's housing was built before then.

Murphy, Blumenthal, Esty and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, are trying to pass a federal Healthy Homes Tax Credit that would give homeowners a tax credit up to $5,000 for abating lead, radon or asbestos.