A new strategy is coming together to help neighbors in Onondaga County remove lead in their homes. And it involves giving them a place to stay while work is underway.
Home HeadQuarters CEO Kerry Quaglia said it’s important to have housing in our community, but it’s also important to make sure that the housing is lead-free.
"The challenges of lead paint are well documented that a child who's poisoned might have developmental disabilities for the rest of their life, so you want to make sure that the housing is safe for the children to be in," he said.
Now, as part of the fight against lead, Home HeadQuarters, with help from the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County, is working to fill a missing piece of the puzzle.
Quaglia said removing lead from a home can take anywhere from a week to a month or more. A new lead-safe house on Lincoln Ave. in Syracuse will give families a place to stay while their homes are under construction.
The $500,000 project is designed to create four units that are renovated, furnished, and of course, lead-free.
"Just a safe place for the family to live for a while, and then, when their home is safe, and you have what's called a clearance report that basically says that it's safe for the family to move back into the home, then they move out, and we have another family move right in," Quaglia said.
Renovations are underway, and the home is expected to be finished by the end of August.
Quaglia said this is a pilot program, and he’s hopeful that eventually there will be lead-safe houses in multiple zip codes, where families can find temporary housing.
