“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are some of the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the United States.  When lead-based paint peels and cracks, it results in lead-contaminated paint chips and dust.  Children can be poisoned if they chew on surfaces coated with lead-based paint, eat flaking paint chips, or eat or…

The West Calumet Housing Complex (WCHC), located in East Chicago, IN, was a public housing development that opened in 1972 on top of a former lead smelting plant.  HUD and other agencies missed multiple opportunities to identify site contamination at WCHC.  As a result, WCHC residents continued living in unsafe conditions for decades, and inadequate oversight led to the lead poisoning of children in WCHC.  Between 2005 and 2015, a…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General audited the City of Spokane, WA’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to determine whether the City complied with procurement, matching, and reporting requirements when executing its grant. This audit was part of the mandate to monitor grant activities funded by the Recovery Act. We selected the City…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General audited the Washington State Department of Commerce to determine whether it complied with Lead Hazard Control grant project eligibility, matching contribution, administrative cost, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act reporting requirements. This audit is part of the national mandate to monitor grant activities funded by the Recovery Act. We selected…