Foreclosure Crisis Exacerbates Lead Based Paint Problem For Chicago Tenants With Young Children

In Chicago, Illinois, CBS 2 Chicago reports:

• A Chicago couple says their two young boys are sick, and their own home and landlord are to blame. The problem? Lead paint. And as CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports, it's even worse now because of the foreclosure crisis. The foreclosure crisis is making an already bad problem even worse in Chicago. That's because many of the foreclosed properties are contaminated with lead paint. Lead abatement experts say many cash-strapped landlords have essentially stopped repairing properties. Nina Woods says that's what happened in her apartment where two of her children were poisoned with lead. She blames her landlord for failing to inform her of the lead paint problem and then failing to correct it.

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• Lead abatement assistance is available to homeowners, often free of charge. Homeowners or property owners of buildings with four units in them or less can apply for financial assistance covering up to 100 percent of the lead abatement costs.

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• In Chicago, one out of every five children screened for lead actually tests positive for an elevated level of lead in their blood. That's especially disturbing when you consider the fact that the effects of lead poisoning are irreversible.

For the story, see 1 In 5 Chicago Kids Has Elevated Lead In Blood (City Lead Abatement Program Helps Homeowners With Costs).