On July 14, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) launched the Team for Enhanced Management Planning and Outreach (TEMPO), which is meant to speed up the process of lead paint repairs in public housing units or The Projects. According to a report on Citylandnyc.org, the program will specifically target apartments where a child the age of 6 or under lives or routinely spends 10 or more hours a week and help prevent lead poisoning.
What the Program Aims to Accomplish
The TEMPO program was launched to prioritize lead paint repair work in
apartments where young children live and visit, and to increase the number of annual visual inspections to two per year. In addition, the program will establish a single team to handle the lead repair work and will make repairs faster with measures such as temporary family relocation. As these teams work, families living in these housing units will be offered temporary accommodations if work cannot be completed within a day.
NYCHA (The Projects) will perform annual door-knocking surveys in order to determine which apartments have children the age of 6 or under who live or frequently visit. The most recent of these surveys was done in June. NYCHA officials say they are hoping this program will help the lead repair work to get done faster, increase communication and supervision and provide greater protection to families.
While lead paint has been identified in “the Projects” or public housing units, it can also be found in private housing units in New York City. If you suspect you have lead paint in your home, whether it’s a public housing unit or private property, it is important that you speak with the property owner/manager about removing the lead paint. If you have children at home, it is important to speak with their pediatrician about lead testing.
Why Children Must Be Protected
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), lead exposure can cause serious damage to children’s developing brains. There is no safe level of lead exposure in children, with lasting decreases in cognition documented in children with lead levels as low as 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood.
While lead is a risk factor for developmental and behavioral problems in children, its impact varies significantly by individual. Lead exposure may affect hearing and balance as well. Some studies have measured tooth or bone lead levels thought to represent lifetime exposure to lead. Research also shows that students with elevated tooth lead levels tend to be more inattentive, hyperactive, disorganized and less able to follow directions at school, with studies showing higher dropout rates and reading disabilities. Elevated bone lead levels were associated with increased lack of attention issues, aggression and delinquency.
NYC Lead Poisoning Lawyer
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If your child has been diagnosed with high blood lead levels, regardless of whether you live in public or private housing, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the NYCHA (the Projects) or private landlords (building owners and building managers) for damages. Those who have been affected can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, cost of diagnostic tests, permanent injuries, lost income and benefits, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If your child has been affected by lead poisoning, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Our firm recovered $1,162,500 for a child who suffered lead poisoning from paint in her apartment. The child’s injuries were subtle and difficult to recognize. We recovered $162,500 above the $1 million dollar total insurance policy in this case. Despite the judge’s efforts to settle the case for $950,000, we fought hard and recovered $162,500 more than the insurance policy of one million dollars. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.citylandnyc.org/nycha-launches-new-team-to-handle-lead-removal-for-residences-with-young-children/