KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A $6.4 million federal grant awarded to the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department in December is making a difference in the city's lead-contaminated homes.
"If we didn't have our federal funding, we'd only be able to do a handful of houses per year," said Amy Roberts, program manager of KCMO Health Department's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
Roberts said the federal grant is competitive.
"We (Kansas City) have a lot of lead-poisoned children, a lot of pre-1978 housing," she said.
In 1978, the federal government banned the use of lead-based paint in housing. Many older homes still have lead-based paint.
Certain parts of Kansas City are more prone to lead contamination, and older housing stock contributes to that.
Children who come from low-income households and are under the age of 6 are at a higher risk of lead exposure. Because lead can be passed to babies during pregnancy, pregnant women should also be aware of exposure, according to the CDC.
Lead can affect almost every part of a child’s body, including the brain, nervous system, slowed growth and development, issues with hearing and speech, and learning and behavioral problems.
Last spring, the health department had to pause its lead cleanup and subsequent repairs in homes due to a lack of funding.
"We have families that have been waiting since then to get their repairs done," Roberts said.
Under this grant, 12 lead-contaminated houses have been remediated. Work is set to begin on an additional 27 homes, and 28 have been inspected for lead, according to Roberts.
Alana Henry, executive director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, has been involved in conversations regarding lead in the neighborhood, where older housing stock is present. She grew up in Ivanhoe and continues to live there.
"I think it's important for folks to understand that these contaminants really do impact the air that we breathe, the soil that we use to grow food," she said.
The council has worked with several entities to work on lead removal in the neighborhood.
Kansas State has conducted studies on plots of land in the Ivanhoe neighborhood to research ways to mitigate the risks of lead in Kansas City soil.
Another federal grant helped with the cleanup and redevelopment of a once-contaminated site on Garfield Avenue in Ivanhoe. Originally set to open at the end of 2023, funding challenges have halted the redevelopment of the low-income East Garfield Senior Cottages, Henry said.
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Henry said Ivanhoe is the developer of the site, and it's hoping to open the living space in March.
She said the cost of remediation — like costs of hauling away contaminated dirt — is a hindrance when it comes to redevelopment on the east side of Kansas City, where there is an older housing stock.
Henry has a personal experience with the impacts of lead poisoning. When her daughter was 4 years old, she tested high for lead levels.
"I had no idea, and so I think that example brings it sort of close to home in terms of it being really real, understanding there are real impacts," she said.
She said her daughter's doctor recommended the lead test.
"I'm the kind of parent that if the doctor is suggesting, I take their recommendation and that's how we discovered it," she said. "I had no reason prior to think there was something to test for."
Henry said it was determined the lead didn't come from her Ivanhoe home. She said they never found the source.
"We tossed out a lot of toys, we tried to regulate not wearing shoes in the home," she said.
Due to Kansas City's high risk, the health department recommends that children be tested every year until the age of 6.
Henry encourages parents to get their children tested and to utilize available resources.
To qualify for the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program's free inspections and remediation services, Kansas Citians must: own a home built before 1978, meet low-income requirements, and have either a child under the age of 6 or a pregnant resident in the home.
To apply, you can call the KCMO Health Department's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and Healthy Homes Program at 816-513-6048 and request an application. You can also apply online here or visit the health department in person.
The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council — located at 3700 Woodland Avenue — will hold its back-to-school event on Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Henry says lead testing and immunization services will be offered. You do not need to be an Ivanhoe resident to attend.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
