A report issued Tuesday found the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority — one of the largest public housing authorities in the nation — provided poor oversight on lead-based paint poisoning in its units.
CMHA failed to comply with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements by not reporting 10 confirmed cases of children with elevated blood lead levels, HUD's Office of Inspector General found. The Authority also failed to notify HUD that it was unable to verify four additional cases, the audit report found.
After learning of children with elevated blood lead levels in its units, CMHA painted over deteriorated lead-based paint in several cases, HUD said. As a result, CMHA compromised investigations designed to determine sources of lead exposure.
CMHA told HUD it was not aware of some requirements for managing cases of children with elevated blood lead levels. "However, [CMHA] should have been aware of and implemented those requirements," the report said.
A review of CMHA's management of lead paint in its units found that it failed to perform timely visual assessments for nearly 77% of the units that had lead-based paint within a required time frame. It was also missing "key information" in 47% of its lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments, and could not support evidence for its determination that nearly 63% of the units and associated developments were “lead free” and required no further action.
HUD also determined that CMHA did not provide accurate lead disclosures to tenants for more than 49% of the units, including five units that later had a child with a reported elevated blood lead level.
"Because of the Authority’s inadequate management, [households] were at an increased risk of being exposed to lead‐based paint hazards, particularly families with children under 6 years of age," HUD said in a news release issued Tuesday.
HUD issued recommendations for CMHA to improve its procedures, including environmental investigations and timely visual assessments for lead-based paint, as well as staff training and technical assistance.
In response to the report, Lissette M. Rivera, a spokesperson for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, wrote in an email statement that they are currently reviewing the Office of Inspector General's report.
"We understand the gravity of the situation and are actively implementing innovative strategies to manage our remaining LBP (lead-based paint) portfolio," she added. "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."
It is the housing authority's goal to ultimately eliminate lead-based paint from their properties by modernizing or disposing of properties, Rivera said.
CMHA is one of the 10 largest public housing authorities in the U.S. with approximately 6,500 public housing units, according to HUD, which noted that the majority of those units were built before the U.S. Consumer Products and Safety Commission banned lead-based paint in 1978.
Lead‐based paint and lead‐contaminated dust are some of the most hazardous sources of lead for children in the U.S. Lead exposure can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, and learning and behavioral problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read the full report at https://www.hudoig.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024ch1002_508_0.pdf.
Darayus Sethna contributed to this report.
