Alameda County Receives $3.6M To Fight Child Lead Exposure

The Alameda County Community Development Agency (CDA) recently received a $3.6 million, four-year grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to improve living conditions and contribute to health improvement for its most vulnerable residents. The funding will be used to reduce exposure to lead-based paint in residences across the communities most at risk in Alameda County.

“This is a matter of equity,” said Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan. “We must address the negative health affects experienced by communities that are at risk due to the lack of resources to eliminate lead paint.”

Lead-based paint and the contaminated dust it creates in homes and lead-contaminated soil remains one of the greatest sources of exposure for children. Children diagnosed with lead poisoning suffer permanent brain damage that can result in learning disabilities, speech and language deficiencies, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), developmental delay, behavioral problems, and lifelong health impacts as adults

“We are very excited to receive this grant which will help us in our efforts to reduce the child lead poisoning rate in Alameda County, which in many areas is higher than that of Flint - not due to our water, but because of deteriorating lead-based paint on buildings built prior to 1978” said Larry Brooks, Director of Alameda County Community Development Agency’s Healthy Homes/Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Department.

Lead paint takes a toll on the most vulnerable

While race and ethnicity data are not routinely collected for blood lead levels (BLL) in California, the Alameda County Public Health Department’s Community Assessment, Planning, and Evaluation (CAPE) unit has identified disparities within specific communities.

“Alameda County residents from predominantly Latinx, African American, and low-income communities experience higher rates of lead poisoning, compared to more affluent and predominantly white communities. This funding will help us reduce lead poisoning disparities and promote equitable outcomes for all children in Alameda County,” said Kimi Watkins-Tartt, Director, Alameda County Public Health Department.

Findings from the Public Health Department’s CAPE unit reported:

• A 2012 analysis of lead screening data for children 0-20 years of age in Alameda County tested between 2007-2011, showed higher concentration of elevated BLL in zip codes where we also see higher neighborhood poverty and Hispanic/Latino and African American communities.
• In Oakland, 28 percent of the African American population and 25 percent of the Hispanic population are represented among children found to have elevated BLL. These numbers reflect the national landscape: 28 percent of African American households and 29 percent of poorer households face housing-related lead exposure risks, compared with 20 percent of white and 18 percent of wealthier households.
• Many studies show higher incidence rates of elevated BLL in children of lower socioeconomic levels.

According to the CDA, most homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint and this equates to approximately 406,477 units in Alameda County. In Oakland alone, 81.1 percent of the city’s total 158,937 housing units were built in 1979 or earlier, with 37.3 percent built in 1939 or earlier.

Alameda County government officials and residents have worked hard to address this issue

In 1990, the community non-profit People United for a Better Life in Oakland (PUEBLO), started the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program in 1990. The story of PUEBLO’s work will be featured on “Retro Report” airing on October 21 on PBS. One of the founding members, Gwen Hardy, still regularly attends monthly AC Lead Poisoning Prevention board meetings as the Community Representative Board member.

Recommendations

Alameda County health and housing officials recommend the following:

• Children under six living in pre-1978 buildings should have their BLL tested to catch any elevations early to prevent problems.
• Consumers considering renovations, repair, and painting can learn more from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
• Alameda County residents are encouraged to contact CDA, Healthy Homes Department, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at www.achhd.org