City Expands Lead Inspection Efforts Following Comptroller Stringer Investigation

(New York, NY) – In response to New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer’s lead investigation released in September, which revealed how City agencies were operating in silos when it came to inspecting residential buildings for lead paint, effectively leaving thousands of children at continued risk of  exposure to lead paint, the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) have agreed to make critical reforms consistent with the Comptroller’s recommendations. Today Comptroller Stringer released the following statement:

“We take on this important work to shine a light on problems that impact our most vulnerable and drive change where needed across City government.

“Fifteen years ago, New York City set a goal to eliminate childhood lead poisoning once and for all. But our lead investigation found that a systemic breakdown in the City’s bureaucracy allowed thousands of children to fall through the cracks. City agencies were operating in silos – and one hand didn’t know what the other was doing. As a result, HPD did not perform a single inspection for lead paint in 9,671 buildings where it was known that one or more lead-exposed children resided. The City’s inaction left thousands of children at risk of being exposed to lead.

“Previously, the City’s goal was to proactively inspect 200 buildings per year. Today, because of our investigation, the City has committed to proactively reaching out to thousand previously uninspected buildings identified in our investigation to help eliminate the scourge of lead poisoning as part of a far more robust inspection approach. I look forward to meeting with City agencies to ensure that each building identified in our analysis is inspected and all New York City families are protected.

“Eradicating lead exposure is crucial and requires a coordinated citywide approach. Protecting our kids is our first and most important job. A fully funded LeadFreeNYC plan points us in the right direction – and today’s commitments from DOHMH and HPD get us closer to that goal.”

In September, following the lead investigation, Comptroller Stringer sent a letter to City Hall making clear the urgent need for the City to ensure children are safe from lead exposure in their own homes. Comptroller Stringer’s investigation revealed a clear failure by the City to leverage its own DOHMH data to identify lead hotspots and use that data to target inspections by HPD. Findings from the investigation include:

• For years, City failed to leverage its own data to perform lead inspections in buildings most likely to pose threats to children. As a result, from 2013 through late 2018, 9,671 buildings under HPD jurisdiction, housing 11,972 children diagnosed with lead exposure (5 mcg/dL or greater), were not inspected by HPD lead inspectors.
• 2,749 children tested positive for lead exposure in buildings that went uninspected for lead paint even after the City was made aware of previous cases of lead exposure in the same buildings.

503 buildings under HPD’s jurisdiction that DOHMH data showed had three or more children with blood levels above the 5 mcg/dL Federal action level were never visited by an HPD lead inspector.

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