Lead in NYC Homes

Data analysis and visuals for NYCC 04.25.2023 'Oversight - Lead-Based Paint Hazards' hearing.

An associated webpage for this analysis can be found on the council website.

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Data Sources

• HPD Housing Litigations Dataset

• HPD Lead Violations Dataset

Methodology

Summary & Intention

As required under state law, only 50% of NYC’s toddlers are being tested for lead. Therefore, the NYC Council is putting in place more protections for these vulnerable children. Now, 80% of NYC's children under three are being tested at least once.

The data team analyzed local law 57 data in order to:

• Conduct analysis on the presence of lead paint violations and litigations in NYC over time
• Identify areas in NYC where lead paint violations and litigation are particularly prevalent

Main Takeaways

• Upper Manhattan and the Bronx are the areas with the greatest number of lead violations and litigations. As of March 2023, 45% of all lead-related court cases in New York City were in the Bronx.
• The Bronx and Upper Manhattan had the most HPD lead litigation cases between 2006 and March 2023. Since 2006, District 14 in the Bronx has filed more than 500 litigation cases.
• City-wide, Staten Island and Queens have the fewest HPD lead-based paint violations and lead litigations.

Recommendations

A traunch of bills was passed previously to address lead paint in NYC Homes that:

• Require the investigation and remediation of lead hazards in spaces where children routinely spend 10 hours or more/week. Read the Bill: Int 464-B
• Require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to track all lead water supply mains and service lines and provide that information to the public in the form of an online interactive map. Read the Bill: Int 709-A
• Lower the blood lead levels, lead-based paint threshold, and lead dust threshold that trigger inspection and/or remediation requirements. Read the Bill: Int 865-A
• Require linguistically and culturally competent outreach/education campaign to increase awareness of childhood lead poisoning prevention. Read the Bill: Int 881-A
• Strengthen the City’s enforcement ability to ensure landlords are complying with the City’s lead laws, and expand lead reporting requirements for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Read the Bill: Int 918-A
• Extend current requirements for daycares to test for lead-based paint annually to other facilities with children under the age of 6, including preschools and nursery schools. Read the Bill: Int 920-A
• Increase landlord requirements to inform tenants about building owners’ responsibilities under the City’s lead laws. Read the Bill: Int 1117-A