Eliminating Lead Poisoning
Lead is a poison that causes brain damage in young children when ingested.
Most of Denver’s old homes, especially those built before
1940, were painted with lead-based paint. If lead-based paint is
in poor condition or is on a surface with a lot of friction (like
old windows) it can pose a serious risk for young children. About
100 children a year are found with lead poisoning in Denver but
we believe there may be many more for whom lead poisoning is undetected.
Groundwork Denver is working on a project to identify houses that present a high risk for lead poisoning of children. These houses are typically built prior to 1940, have old wood-framed windows, and are in distressed condition. When a high risk home is identified, we refer the family to Northeast Denver Housing Center for free blood lead testing events and free renovations to make the home lead safe.
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