Southwest Fair Housing

Fair Housing and Lead-based Paint

Does a housing provider have the right to deny housing to a family with young children if the housing unit has potential lead hazards? NO! This would be a violation of the Fair Housing Act! Even though lead-based paint can be extremely hazardous to families with young children, it is still ILLEGAL for a landlord to decide whether or not housing is suitable for you and your family. It is required that a landlord provide information about lead-based paint to anyone occupying a unit built before 1978 that has not undergone lead hazard control treatments, but they cannot tell you that you and your family should not live there.

Daily Clean-Up helps Get the Lead Out!

Daily clean up of the home is one of the best ways to protect your family from encountering extremely toxic lead substances.

Simply sweeping or vacuuming will not remove lead dust from floors or window sills. Wet mopping and using a damp rag or sponge is the best way to clean potentially hazardous dust.

The EPA recommends that when wet mopping the floors, the best method is to use three buckets: one bucket should contain warm, soapy water; the second bucket should contain clean water; the last bucket should contain cold, clean water. The reason three buckets are needed is to ensure that each time you get the mop wet, the lead dust that had collected on the mop is washed off. This way, each time you mop, you remove the lead dust instead of push it around!

Don't forget to wear gloves when cleaning window frames with a wet rag or sponge.

Other suggestions on daily clean up to reduce lead hazards in the home can be found here.

Toxic Treats

Toxic Treats... Lead has been found in certain candies and their wrappers. Many candies that have been found with a lead content are imported from Mexico. Lead becomes an accidental ingredient in these candies through the use of old equipment. Candies that contain chili have lead because chilis are often not milled before they are mixed into the candies, thus lead from old farm scales and dirt particles are included in the treat. Likewise, Tamarind is sticky and lead from pesticides, fertilizers or dirt cling to it. Candies with chili and Tamarind flavor often contain lead. Candy wrappers are sometimes printed with ink that contains lead, which then leeches into the candy. You can find a complete list of toxic treats here. 

The Lead Hazard Control Program in Tucson

Welcome to the Lead Hazard Control Program's Weblog! On this site, you will find notices of current lead awareness events going on in Tucson, as well as helpful facts about the hazards of lead and lead poisoning.

So, what is lead? Lead is a highly toxic substance that was used in paints and gasoline. If ingested, this substance is extremely harmful to the human body.

Where is lead found? Lead-based paint was commonly used on homes prior to 1978 on both the interior and exterior of the house. Also, leaded gasoline caused dangerous emissions from motorvehicles. Today, even though the use of lead is prohibited, it can still be present in homes built before 1978, bare dirt, ceramics, some drinking water, hair dyes, cosmetics, toys, and a variety of other places.

How can I check my home for lead? It is very important to check your home and the surrounding area for the presence of lead. It is possible to buy a home-test kit from here or from your local hardware store. Remember, even an amount equivalent to a grain of salt is enough lead to read as an "elevated blood lead level."