Chautauqua County Health Department staff conducting a lead test on an old windowpane.
Homeowners will be able to make homes more lead safe thanks to $700,000 in American Rescue Plan funding allocated by Chautauqua County Government.
Qualifying homeowners will be able to use ARPA funds to get windows and doors in their home replaced. Old windows and doors are major sources of lead exposure.
Chautauqua County Health Department’s Childhood Lead Program Coordinator Anna Powell said, “Over time, opening and closing windows and doors wears down paint, creating nearly invisible but highly toxic lead paint dust in older homes. Replacing them is important but is cost-prohibitive for many families. This program will substantially reduce the risk of children being exposed to lead in their homes and will also protect future residents from being lead poisoned.”
Lead exposure in early childhood can cause permanent learning and behavior problems, but children rarely show immediate signs or symptoms. Many parents do not realize that their children are being exposed until the child gets their required lead test at the pediatrician. New York State requires that providers perform a lead test for children at ages one and two.
Approximately 24 properties and potentially dozens more families and children are expected to benefit from the ARPA funding. The funding has been prioritized for homeowner occupied units where children who have been identified with elevated blood lead levels spend time. The program will be operated through Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc.
For more information about Chautauqua County’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, including how to get your home tested for lead paint, visit HealthyCHQ.com/Lead, or contact Anna Powell at 716-753-4764.
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