De Blasio says up to 130K NYCHA apartments could have lead paint issue

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced that the city will inspect 130,000 public housing apartments for lead paint — more than double the units officials originally said were likely at risk.

Earlier this year, the New York City Housing Authority claimed that only 55,000 of the agency’s 175,000 units likely contained lead paint. Last month, the New York Daily News revealed that more than 800 children living in NYCHA apartments showed levels of lead poisoning between 5 micrograms and 9 micrograms per deciliter. The mayor announced an “intensive outreach” to effected families, saying that the city needs to take a “Vision Zero approach” to lead.

The inspections of 130,000 units will be done by private contractors and are expected to cost $80 million.

“This is a massive undertaking – 130,000 (units) we don’t have that definitive answer on. Our goal now is to do a very intensive investigation,” de Blasio said. ”We’re going to then be able to say which apartments have lead and which apartments don’t have lead.”

Last month, the city agreed to pay more than $2 billion to settle allegations that NYCHA knowingly covered up poor conditions at various public housing developments. NYCHA and the city also agreed to the appointment of an independent federal monitor to oversee the agency.[NYDN and NYP] — Kathryn Brenzel