Milwaukee Health Department/Lead-Safe Properties

Today it was announced that the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) received $6.9 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to eliminate lead hazards in homes within the city. These grants will enable the abatement of more than 1,100 housing units over the next three years. Because of this news, I thought it made sense to make everyone aware of the City of Milwaukee's Primary Prevention program.

The MHD operates a Primary Prevention program which provides money to abate lead-based paint hazards in windows for eligible property owners. If a property is eligible, a property owner may qualify for assistance to make the property lead-safe. An application can be obtained by calling 414-286-5025. The program guidelines and application form are also available online at http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/router.asp?docid=2828. Considering Milwaukee's north side has substantially higher lead poisoning rates than the national average, this is a program that Harambee property owners should explore.