HPD, DOHMH Launch Campaign to Prevent Lead Poisoning

This week, in recognition of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) are hosting a series of in-person and virtual events. These events, in collaboration with partner agencies and organizations citywide, aim to educate New Yorkers about lead hazards and the essential measures needed to prevent exposure. According to the city’s LeadFreeNYC report, Taking the Lead on Lead, the city’s efforts have resulted in a 93% decline in childhood lead exposure since 2005.

The context: Lead is a harmful metal that, despite declining trends, poses a preventable public health concern for all New Yorkers, especially children and pregnant people. Peeling paint and its dust are the primary sources of lead exposure for young children, who may ingest it from windowsills and floors, leading to learning and behavioral problems. 

HPD and DOHMH will host multiple in-person events, in partnership with community organizations across all five boroughs, to distribute educational materials on lead poisoning prevention. At these events, children will receive backpacks, comic books, toys, stories, and other goodies. Information will also be available for parents, tenants, and property owners on their role in preventing lead exposure in homes.

For those who can’t make the in-person events, the city will also host webinars to provide valuable information for families, tenants, building owners, contractors, and managers on lead poisoning prevention. More information can be found here.

One level deeper: HPD is tasked with enforcing New York City’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, requiring owners take proactive steps to protect children from lead-based paint exposure. Requirements include:

• Annually determining apartments where a child under 6 routinely spends 10 or more hours in a week;
• Inspecting those units and the building common areas for peeling and deteriorating paint;
• Remediating hazards in those units and common areas using safe work practices and certified lead-remediation staff and contractors;
• Remediating lead-based paint hazards and abating window and door friction surfaces in all units at turnover; and
• Testing for lead-based paint in all rental units by August 2025

Failure to meet these legal obligations can result in emergency repairs conducted by HPD, with costs billed to the property, as well as civil penalties, court orders, and other enforcement actions. Under Local Law 31 of 2020, landlords are required to identify and test for the presence of lead-based paint in dwelling units and common areas of buildings constructed before 1960, with a compliance deadline of Aug. 9, 2025.