A month after shocking revelations revealed that the city’s housing authority was neglecting to perform lead inspections in thousands of units across the city, one State Senator is taking the state to task.
On Monday, State Senator Jesse Hamilton (D-Central Brooklyn) introduced a new lead prevention bill that would require young children to be tested for lead exposure. The new legislation will serve as a preventative measure to bolster healthy childhoods for all New York youths.
Last month, it was revealed, following a Department of Investigation (DOI) report, that the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chair Shola Olatoye lied about lead poisoning inspections in approximately 55,000 potentially dangerous apartments, leaving many children exposed to the toxic chemical.
“Like every New Yorker, every NYCHA resident deserves safe housing. Every child growing up in NYCHA housing deserves to be free from hazardous lead that can negatively impact their growth and development. Every parent raising a family in NYCHA housing deserves to know that their apartment is not poisoning them,” said Hamilton.
According to the DOI report, children under 6 — who are most vulnerable to lead poisoning — live in roughly 4,200 of the 55,000 apartments that are supposed to be inspected for hazards each year.
The new bill will require children entering kindergarten, 2nd grade or 4th grade to receive lead tests before the start of the school year. The bill will also inform parents about the health hazards associated with lead poisoning and prevention strategies including referring parents to health professionals for additional testing.
“With this report and the legislation we advance, we mandate meaningful transparency and independent oversight to give families in NYCHA housing the assurances they need. Your health and well-being matter. As someone who grew up in NYCHA housing myself, I know it is our duty to ensure NYCHA lives up to its responsibilities to every NYCHA resident,” added Hamilton.
The NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DHMH) is currently reviewing the bill. However, they were quick to point out that under current state law all children under the age of 2 must be tested for lead.
“NY State law also mandates that healthcare providers run lead poisoning screening in the annual medical examination of children under the age of 6 . If the doctor suspects exposure risk, there needs to be a blood test. City law reinforces the state lead testing mandate by requiring child’s lead testing history as part of the child care application. In NYC, more than 90% children are tested by age 6 – higher than anywhere else in the state,” said DHMH Spokesperson Olivia Lapeyrolerie.
NYCHA did not make a comment in time for publication.
