New York State leads the nation in cases of children with elevated blood levels. Twelve percent of the children born in the state in 2019 – 28,820 children – were diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels. Childhood lead poisoning rates for communities across New York State are five to six times higher than those in Flint, MI at the peak of its water crisis. And studies show that Black children are three-times more likely to have elevated blood lead levels than white children.
But childhood lead poisoning is completely preventable. Tragically it produces life-long impacts, which include permanent neurological disorders, kidney and hearing damage, and concentration problems as well as lower IQs.
In New York City, we helped pass Local Law 1 of 2004, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, which requires landlords to proactively find and safely fix lead-based paint hazards in older residential buildings. Unfortunately, though, the City has never adequately enforced this law.
In 2026, we worked with the Center for Urban Pedagogy, along with our allies and community members, to develop Chipping Away at Lead, a bilingual resource for tenants to help identify lead hazards in their home as well as hold their landlords accountable. Download
