Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the HUD Blog
When my wife and I were expecting our first daughter, there was so much preparation to do before she arrived – as any parent could tell you. The list felt like it was a mile long – diapers, clothes, formula, a car seat and stroller. I could go on and on. But one of the most important things on the list was ensuring that our home was ready for our daughter, and that she had a safe and healthy place to grow up in.
We were of course aware of lead-based paint and the harmful effects it can have on young children. Because even though lead-based paint was banned in 1978, we knew that many homes still face significant lead-based paint hazards. That was the case in our older neighborhood.
That experience reaffirmed for me our shared belief as Americans that every family should be able to live in a safe, healthy home. And thanks to the wonderful work of our dedicated team at HUD and our grantees in cities and counties around the country, we’ve already reduced the number of children with lead poisoning by 75 percent over the last decade. Stated differently, the percentage of children that test positive for lead poisoning has been reduced from over 8% to less than 1%.
Fonte: White House