APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The primary way children get lead poisoning is from paint in older homes.
In 2019, more than 31-hundred children under the age of six met the definition of lead-poisoned in Wisconsin. It can impact their brain development.
Charity Schneidewend and her kids were thrilled to see the finished product of the now lead-safe home on State Street in Appleton, because her future house is next.
“It’s very exciting we got to see this one actually before it was done and now we get to see the finished product.”
The Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity is about to start work on Schneidewend’s house, which could be lead-based paint free in two months.
John Weyenberg, President and CEO of Habitat tells FOX 11 the Lead-Safe Homes Program is just scratching the surface.
“We have more properties in the City of Menasha that you will be able to tackle in a lifetime.’ and that’s just in the city of Menasha alone, so if you broaden that to a greater community, the need is quite immense.”
Habitat for Humanity estimates the program will eliminate lead hazards from 6 homes in the Fox Valley area in 2021.
There is a cost that comes with fixing a house.
“On average for us it’s in that 50-60 thousand dollar range to deal with lead hazards alone and then on top of that we have other rehabs cost to bring it to our standards, so usually we are all in from 80 to 90 thousand dollars in lead and other rehabs costs,” said Weyenberg.
Weyenberg says Habitat works locally to identify hazardous properties and finds families to live in them after the lead is removed.
But the Wisconsin Department of Health Services covers the cost.
DHS lead policy advisor, Brian Weaver tells FOX 11 the state has the will and the money to take action.
“It’s a mix of federal funding and state dollars so we do rely on state funding for this. We get roughly 14 million dollars a year between federal and state dollars to be able to then disseminate the money statewide so we can fix older homes throughout the state.”
Weaver says even though repairs can be expensive, the generational impact can be immense.
“It’s very nice to know that my kids are going to be safe,” said Schneidewend.
DHS says the biggest obstacle is having enough certified lead abatement contractors to do the renovation work.
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