Cleveland City Council wants an independent review of lead poisoning cases in children living in public housing, following a recent audit that found Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority failed to report some of those cases.
The city needs to know how and why CMHA missed reporting at least 10 cases of children with lead poisoning, said Ward 5 Councilmember Richard Starr.
“People live in their lead-infested apartments and don't have nowhere else to go. We cannot continue this," Starr said. "Prioritizing lead safety remains a crucial concern and necessitates ongoing attention."
Starr and his colleagues have asked the city’s director of public health to review lead poisoning cases, and have called for a public hearing with CMHA to hear more detailed information about its contractors, and to build an accountability plan.
They have also called for health care providers to test all children living in CMHA’s properties for lead.
Public housing authorities are required to report all cases of child lead poisoning and investigate possible lead hazards, but federal regulators found CMHA painted over potential lead paint, didn't warn some tenants about potential lead exposure and failed to disclose poisonings to HUD.
The city’s joint commission hearing is tentatively set for July 31.
