Inspector: Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority didn’t manage lead hazards or report sickened children

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WASHINGTON (WJW) — Federal housing inspectors report the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority failed in its oversight of lead-based hazards in some of its homes, citing at least 10 confirmed cases of sickened children that went unreported to federal overseers.

In six of those cases in which a child was found to have an elevated blood-lead level, there was no follow-up to determine the source of the child’s poisoning, according to a report out this week from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General.

CMHA was unable to verify an additional four cases, but didn’t report that to HUD either, according to the report.

In some cases, workers simply painted over the lead paint after learning a resident had an elevated blood-lead level, “compromising” the investigation into the source of the lead exposure, which is required under HUD rules, reads the report.

Exposure to lead — often from lead-based paint or lead-contaminated dust found in the home — can damage a child’s brain and nervous system, stunting growth and development and leading to issues with learning or speech, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . There is no safe level of lead exposure.

“The Authority stated that it was not aware of certain HUD requirements for managing cases of children with elevated blood lead levels; however, it should have been aware of and implemented those requirements,” reads a news release.

CMHA is one of the largest public housing authorities in the U.S., with about 6,500 public housing units, most of which were built before 1978, the year lead-based paint was banned, according to the inspector general report. Its oldest properties are nearing 90 years old.

Among a sample size of 77 units reviewed by federal inspectors, 67 of them contained lead-based paint and 10 had a child with an elevated blood-lead level, according to the report. For more than three-quarters of those units, no one actually looked at the property for lead within the required timeframe, according to the report.

In nearly half of those units, tenants never received “accurate” lead disclosure statements, as required by law, the report states. Children in five of those units were later found to have higher levels of lead in their blood.

Inspectors also looked at 24 units the authority considered to be “lead-free,” finding that for nearly two-thirds of them, the authority didn’t have documented proof.

A CMHA spokesperson issued a statement on Tuesday to FOX 8 News that read:

We are diligently reviewing this document and take the issue of lead-based paint (LBP) very seriously. CMHA has a long-standing commitment to proactively addressing LBP in our housing developments.

This is evidenced by our redevelopment of several legacy properties such as Tremont Point, formerly Valley View, Heritage View, formerly Garden Valley, Riverside Park Homes, and our recent Choice Neighborhood Grant development site Woodhill Homes Estates. In addition, we understand the gravity of the situation and are actively implementing innovative strategies to manage our remaining LBP portfolio. These include incorporating LBP disclosures electronically into leasing documents, utilizing work orders for timely inspections and assessments, and leveraging technology to streamline our management processes.

Our ultimate goal is to eliminate LBP entirely through property modernization or disposition. We are dedicated to continuous improvement in our LBP management practices until this critical issue is fully resolved for all CMHA residents.

Inspectors recommended the authority develop measures to report confirmed or unconfirmed cases of elevated blood-lead level cases to HUD as well as new controls to make sure the units are investigated to determine how tenants are being exposed to lead. They also recommended visual inspections of units at least once every 12 months and a search for supporting documentation for the units it claims are lead-free.

They also recommended additional training for CMHA workers on testing children for lead exposure and improving lead hazard controls.

“The Lead Safe Housing Rule and HUD’s environmental safety requirements for public housing authorities exist to ensure that families living in housing with lead and lead-based paint hazards are protected,” Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis is quoted in the release. “HUD and the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority must act now to improve oversight of suspected cases of elevated blood lead levels in children, its disclosures to families about the risks of lead-based paint in its housing units, and how it manages the risk of households being exposed to lead‐based paint hazards. We appreciate the improvements made by the Authority during our audit and remain committed to working closely with HUD as the Authority addresses our recommendations.”

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