There is a map of Providence that shows no streets, only council ward boundaries, but in each ward are red dots representing children between the ages of 12 to 23 months who were lead poisoned in 1999. A rough count indicated 306 marks but a statistical sheet listed 1,153 that were considered lead poisoned.
The map was prepared for the Providence Plan, a city agency, but it carries no addresses, just dots that look so much like chicken pox. If only it were so.
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The information comes from the state’s health department but because of self-imposed confidentiality, the state will not tell the city, or housing advocates, or nonprofits or families looking to rent where these sick children live.
And when it does make the address available to agencies or academics, they can not make the information public.
Another oddity from the Health Department: from 1998 to March 31, of this year, the state “closed” 288 cases in Providence stemming from lead inspections. A few were abated, many were referred to local and state agencies for court action and 48, or nearly 17 percent, were not abated or referred elsewhere because the properties were owned by parents or grandparents of the poisoned children. This exception is not part of any state law or regulation but a “policy” adopted five years ago. The families are given information about lead, where they can go for financial or medical assistance, but they are not prosecuted.
Of the 39 active lead cases in Providence Housing Court for two years ending in March, none involve the “closed” protected properties. And of the 45 cases brought by the Attorney General in Providence, not one is from the protected category in the three years ending in 2000. However, seven of the properties did receive loans/grants from R.I. Housing and Greater Elmwood Neighborhood Services through recent federal programs run by RIHMFC and the city.
Despite the Providence Journal’s recent six-part series, and the extended lead wars over conflicting bills in the General Assembly, there is much that neither the newspaper nor the politicians seem to consider. Here are some ideas gleaned from dealing with neighborhood lead problems in Providence for the last 15 years:
- The state should take over code enforcement and the housing court in Providence. City inspectors will not look for lead violations and most veteran observers consider the housing court a “joke” that has done little to ameliorate the housing code crisis in the city.
- The state should create its much delayed lead registry so that the public win know the properties where lead poisoned children have lived, and which have been certified lead safe.
- Providence had 581 vacant and abandoned properties earlier this year. Those in areas with large numbers of poisoned children should be turned over to housing nonprofits as transitional or permanent housing for families whose landlords will not meet lead standards.
- The 100 worst leaded properties with children, whether they are poisoned or not, should be seized from their owners through court action and brought up to standards through a revolving loan/grant fund created by the city and state.
- Set aside at least half of the current $50 million bond fund in Providence for lead inspections, training, education and repairs instead of equally dividing some $30 million without any plans for each of the 15 city wards.
- No home should be sold or rented without a serious code inspection throughout the state.
- Property owners who make their residences lead safe should get a 10 percent local or state tax deduction if maintained annually.
- Lead poisoning should be a criminal offense, just like child abuse or reckless disregard of a child’s health and welfare.
- State health, environmental and educational agencies should make monthly public reports that share lead data on testing, abatement, impact on students, and policies and procedures that work or fail.
- Rhode Island needs a Lead Marshall Plan, using public, private and foundation resources so that lead poisoning will no longer be a serious issue issue in five years.
- A lead summit annually composed of advocates, academics and community housing leaders should review the status of the lead war and recommend improvements in the action plan.
Inspectors can close a restaurant that does not meet health rules before any customer becomes ill. The police can tow cars whose drivers are not certified or if they drive in a manner threatening the health of their passengers or the public. The least we can do is offer children the same kind of preventive protection.
Irwin Becker retired last fall after several years as executive director of the Greater Elmwood Neighborhood Services. Prior to that he had been associated with the Coalition for Consumer Justice, the George A. Wiley Center in Pawtucket and is a former reporter for the Providence Journal and Evening Bulletin.
