“Wataru was absolutely great. We kept going through the process even though there was a pandemic, and he kept in contact and explained to me what we needed to do to get the lead out.”
Wataru is part of the special cohort of HPDers who joined the team shortly before the pandemic. Despite having very little time in his new office before transitioning to working from home, he has embraced his new role of helping to reduce lead hazards so people can live in safe, healthy homes.
We’re a small but dedicated team supervised by Sarah Hovde, Director of the Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Home Program. I serve as her deputy, and our program offers federally-funded grants to help homeowners address lead paint hazards and prevent lead poisoning — especially in young children. We want to support the most vulnerable populations, so we’re focused on homes occupied by lower income New Yorkers and those with (or expecting) children under six.
It’s important work. The fact that we’ve hit the pandemic doesn’t minimize the need to address lead by any means. If anything, now that folks are spending more time at home, there’s even more urgency to address the risk of lead poisoning. Recently, I worked with a family that lives in a historic home, built in 1901. The homeowner is retired and living with her two sons and grandchild, and a routine doctor’s visit revealed that the child had elevated blood lead levels, which they quickly connected back to lead paint in the home.
The child’s uncle, Damian shared, “When we moved into this house in the 80s, we didn’t have these issues, but more than 30 years later, there’s wear and tear, small cracks and things. We contacted some lead abatement places, and they were quoting $15,000 and up. Maybe if they offered a payment plan, but we just couldn’t do that all at once, so the HPD program really helped us. Wataru was absolutely great. We kept going through the process even though there was a pandemic, and he kept in contact and explained to me what we needed to do to get the lead out.”
Did you know? There have been several updates to the City’s lead requirements and more underway. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development encourages all property owners to stay on top of their responsibilities to keep kids safe, and apply for a grant through the Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes program if eligible.
