November 4, 2019

The LeadFreeNYC campaign focuses on informing rental property owners of their responsibilities to identify and safely fix lead-based paint hazards in their buildings

Press Office: hpdmedia@hpd.nyc.gov

NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) in partnership with LeadFreeNYC, is launching an outreach and education campaign to remind property owners of their responsibilities under the law when it comes to identifying lead-based paint hazards and remediating those hazards safely. The campaign also informs property owners about grants and other available resources that can help fulfill these obligations.

“Lead exposure is preventable and no child should be endangered because the proper steps weren’t taken to keep them safe. Through this campaign, we’re making sure that property owners know their responsibility to address lead paint hazards and have the resources they need to make it happen,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “We will continue our proactive interagency LeadFreeNYC effort to drive lead exposure in our city down to zero.”

“No child should be in danger in their own home, especially from preventable risks like lead exposure. This campaign is letting owners know what they need to do in order to keep their tenants safe, and through LeadFreeNYC we’re pushing on all fronts to eliminate childhood lead exposure in New York City head on,” said Senior Advisor for Citywide Lead Prevention Kathryn Garcia.

“Protecting Tenants also means supporting landlords who want to do the right thing. Through this campaign the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development is appealing to owners who want to follow the law and keep their tenants safe. That’s a win-win,” said Jackie Bray, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. “Owners should recognize that it is absolutely time for them to step up, ask for help if they need to, and join the effort to make NYC lead free.”

“New York City has an extremely aggressive system to identify and fix conditions that may result in lead exposure and we want New Yorkers to use it,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “The most commonly identified source of lead exposure for New York City children is peeling lead-based paint, and this campaign reminds landlords that they play an important role in keeping our children safe.”

“There is no higher priority than protecting New Yorkers, especially our children, from exposures to toxins like lead,” said Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca. “We are proud to work with our partners at HPD and our fellow agencies to protect tenants and the public from the dangers of lead exposure during construction activities.”

Under the City’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (Local Law 1 of 2004), rental property owners of multiple dwellings are responsible for both identifying lead-based paint hazards and using certified lead paint contractors and safe work practices to remediate conditions.

The campaign will run citywide in eight languages through the month of November, and there will be targeted placement of ads in zip codes within the city with high rates of children with elevated blood lead levels. The targeted ads will be placed on bus shelters, storefronts, and in newspapers. Citywide ads will run on subway digital live boards, online, and on the Staten Island Ferry. Advertisements have been translated into Spanish, Haitian Creole, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Yiddish. Print materials are also in Arabic and Korean.

LeadFreeNYC is an interagency comprehensive plan to end childhood lead exposure. Through the initiative, the City will increase resources and support for children, parents, and healthcare providers to make sure every child under three is tested for lead exposure – and any child who does test positive gets the services they need.

For more information on lead-based paint hazards and the City’s LeadFreeNYC initiative, visit nyc.gov/leadfree. The website includes data and progress on the City’s lead prevention initiatives and includes educational materials to help New Yorkers understand the dangers of lead and the tools available to anyone who may have been exposed to lead.

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. HPD is tasked with fulfilling Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York Plan which was recently expanded and accelerated through Housing New York 2.0 to complete the initial goal of 200,000 homes two years ahead of schedule—by 2022, and achieve an additional 100,000 homes over the following four years, for a total of 300,000 homes by 2026.  For full details visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.