MILWAUKEE — According to the city of Milwaukee, if your home was constructed in Milwaukee before 1978, it is likely that it contains lead-based paint.
What You Need To Know
- The Lead Safe Homes Program provides lead inspections and risk assessments to identify lead hazards
- Weatherization Services LLC is working on lead abatement projects on homes across Milwaukee
- The Lead Safe Homes Program is funded through a grant from the Department of Health Services
The Social Development Commission is a Milwaukee nonprofit. Its Lead Safe Homes Program is helping address the issue.
The Lead Safe Homes Program is funded through a grant from the Department of Health Services.
The Program provides lead inspections and risk assessments to identify lead hazards. It also provides housing rehab to control or eliminate lead hazards. Only lead-based paint can be remediated with this grant.
Crews with Weatherization Services LLC are working on a home in Milwaukee’s Northside. It’s a company in Milwaukee that specializes in lead abatement.
Cypress Cordero is a supervisor at Weatherization Services. He said they stay busy with providing services for many homes in different parts of the city.
“We like to help the community, so we enjoy the work that we do,” said Cordero.
He works with project manager Joel Courtney.
“Lead paint that is in good condition is not a hazard,” said Courtney. “It’s really when it becomes deteriorated that we have to worry about taking precaution to clean up any of the dust that is from these lead chips.”
Courtney said lead paint was considered good quality when homes were being built before 1978. He said the majority of childhood lead poisoning comes is a result of kids ingesting any lead paint hazards.
“After World War II, latex paint was kind of a known standard for use and used latex paint on the interior of the house, but continued to use lead paint on the exterior just because it was more durable,” he said.
Courtney said after every project a final test is done. Once the containment is cleaned up, the home is cleaned and wiped down. The wipes are used to clean any surfaces where lead dust may have landed during the work.
The wipes are then sent to a lab. Lead results must be below a certain threshold of safety before tenants are allowed back into their homes.
They’ll tackle homes from different parts of the city, ensuring families and children are safe one home at a time.