LEAD POISON ALERT

(Article published in HWW March 2007)

by Debbian Fletcher-Blake, Nurse Practitioner, Care for the Homeless

Perhaps the biggest source of lead exposure for children is from old, chipping, and peeling lead-based paint. It can contaminate household dust as well as the soil around a house, where children may play. Children who come into contact with lead-contaminated dust or soil can be easily poisoned from putting their fingers in their mouths. It takes only a small amount of lead dust (the size of a single grain of salt) to cause a child’s blood lead level to rise.

For young children, even very low levels of lead exposure can result in a lower IQ, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, behavioral problems, stunted growth, impaired hearing, and kidney damage.

If you live in a building with old or peeling paint, complain to the landlord, owner or shelter operator. Do not allow children to chew on or lick painted surfaces. Make sure the child washes his or her hands often to remove lead dusts and soil. Clean any toys that have been lying about in areas that you think may contain lead-contaminated dust.

Blood tests are used to screen children for lead poisoning. If your child has not been tested recently, talk to your health care provider.

NEWS AND ADVOCATES PROD CITY TO TIGHTEN HSP INSPECTIONS

In January, the New York Daily News headlined a front page story about families in the HSP (Housing Stability Plus) program placed in apartments with lead paint violations.

A few weeks later, the Coalition for the Homeless released its own report about hazardous conditions in HSP apartments. The report studied conditions for 2,850 families placed by the city in the first nine months of the HSP program. Among its findings: One out of five families was placed in an apartment cited for five or more hazardous violations per apartment, including lead paint hazards.

Although DHS Commissioner Robert Hess called the report "misguided" and "flawed," he added that "since concerns over lead paint were raised recently, we’ve taken several immediate steps to improve our process." Among these steps he listed:

1. •"Apartments with existing violations do not enter the program."
   

2. •In what he called an improved apartment repair policy, "the landlord is required to repair and repaint any observed cracked or peeling paint. We now verify that this takes place."
   

3. •"Improved standards for proof of repair. We no longer accept documentation submitted by the landlord but instead refer landlords directly to the HPD lead enforcement process."
   

MEANTIME IF YOU’RE IN A SHELTER AND CERTIFIED FOR HSP, HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF?

Diana Rosato, housing specialist at the Clinton Inn, says "I tell my clients to look closely at the condition of the apartment. Be sure there are no loose wires, no chipped paint. I wouldn’t advise a client to move into an apartment until needed repairs are done."

Barbara Pacheco, Director of Housing Services for WHEDCO, advises "Take the DHS Apartment Review Checklist (your Housing Specialist can give you a copy) and go over it carefully to check out conditions when you look at an apartment."

Manuela Schaudt, Executive Director of Concourse House, says "What we do is go onto a database that shows which landlords have violations and we avoid those apartments."

Here’s how: Find a computer, click on www.NYC.gov/hpd. At the right of the screen you’ll see the words "Housing Violations Look Up." Type in the address of the place that interests you. If you see violations, remember it sometimes it takes time for a landlord to get a violation removed. So follow up with a call to 311 and ask for HPD (Dept. of Housing Preservation & Development).