Utica receives nearly $4M in funding to remove lead paint from homes

Utica has received nearly $4 million to remove lead paint hazards from aging homes across the city, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced in a statement.

This investment will protect the health and well-being of Utica children, who experience one of the highest rates of lead poisoning in the state, the senators said.

The city will receive $3,974,989 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program.

The senators said the funding will create lead safe, healthy, and affordable housing units for low-income families with children under 6 years old living in or frequently visiting pre-1978 properties in Utica.

“No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for the children of Utica,” Schumer said in a statement. “For years, Utica has been among the highest for exposure to lead, but now I am proud to announce we have secured nearly $4 million for Utica to remove lead paint from homes to protect our children and public health.”

“Lead poisoning is an irreversible, preventable tragedy that robs many families and children of their future. This major federal funding is the shot in the arm the Utica area needs to boost lead paint removal and lead poisoning prevention to boost the health and safety of families across Utica.”

Utica high in lead

New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) 2017-2020 data identifies Oneida County, with Utica as its largest city, as having the fifth highest incidence rate for high blood lead levels among all counties in the state, according to the senators.

Additionally, according to the NSYDOH, in 2020, at least 196 children under the age of six in Utica were poisoned by lead paint, and 19.19% of children who had their blood tested for lead displayed elevated levels of the toxic metal.

The NYSDOH also reports that Oneida County’s “incidence of confirmed high blood level” is 46.8, which is more than four times higher than the state average of 10.4 and among the highest in the state.

The senators said lead exposure is a particularly pressing issue for Utica, especially in homes built before lead paint was banned in 1978.

With at least 6,812 occupied rental properties built prior to 1940 and 22,027 occupied housing units built prior to 1978, residents in those units and properties are at a significantly heightened risk for lead-based paint hazards.

In response to lead based paint concerns, the City of Utica and more than two dozen community partners launched the Lead-Free Mohawk Valley Coalition with an initial $1 million investment in 2015. The coalition has since grown to include more than 100 individuals from over 40 partner organizations.

“The elimination of lead poisoning needs to be a top priority for the City of Utica, the United States of America and all of our partners," Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri said in a statement. "In the last six years, we have been able to reduce the rate of children showing elevated blood levels by 37 percent by working together."

Why lead paint is harmful

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains, the senators said in their statement.

Lead-based paint, still encasing the walls of many homes, often erodes and settles on children’s toys on the floor, eventually falling into the hands and mouths of children.

For children under the age of 6, lead exposure can result in developmental delays, learning difficulties and behavioral issues which may lead to lifelong health and financial consequences.

Where the money will go

The senators said the money will go towards Lead Safe Utica’s 2022 Lead Hazard Reduction & Healthy Homes (LHR & HH) Program, which will reduce lead and other health and safety hazards in 88 units in the city’s most distressed communities.

This will be done through a comprehensive plan of lead hazard reduction and healthy homes measures, enforcement, job training, education, and outreach.

The program’s coordinated approach will utilize multiple local government agencies, organizations, and community partners to implement LHR & HH strategies in properties where children at risk reside.

Specifically, the program will:

• Complete HUD funded lead hazard control and healthy homes interventions in 88 units

• Deliver 80 Post Remediation Kits to participants to better maintain lead safety over time

• Provide 98 free lead inspection risk assessments for owners to identify lead hazards

• Refer program units to Weatherization/Energy Efficiency to achieve measures in 75 units

• Perform leverage funded housing rehabilitation interventions in 44 program units

• Provide 150 free Lead Worker training and certification to residents and contractors

• Conduct 75 outreach and education events

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica to remove lead paint from homes using $4M in federal funding