The county team that tackles lead
Dale Cooney and Kelly Koch from the lead rehab team walk a resident through the county’s lead testing and renovation program.
Lead exposure is still an issue that impacts families in Hennepin County. Every year, more than 100 children in Hennepin County are found to have high blood lead levels, high enough to damage their health. Lead exposure is particularly dangerous for young children and can lead to brain and nervous system damage, slowed growth and development, and learning and behavior problems.
Since 2004, Hennepin County has dedicated a program to raising awareness about possible exposures to lead in our homes, testing for lead, and offering grants to complete lead removal projects. And in the past 20 years, the county has completed 5,374 lead removal home projects, which include new windows, paint, flooring, and other measures that protect the families living in those homes from lead poisoning.
“This is about preventing lead exposure, but it’s also about preserving whole neighborhoods,” says Michael Jensen, Housing Program Manager at Hennepin County. “We’re helping to make these homes safe and livable for future generations.”
Powered by experts
The county’s lead poisoning prevention work is powered by the Healthy Homes team—trusted lead experts with years of experience detecting and removing lead paint. It’s their job to connect with residents, test their homes for lead, and work with eligible families to access grants for lead removal home repairs.
The county’s lead rehab team in downtown Minneapolis.
Eliza Schell is one of them. She’s been a Senior Planning Analyst with the Hennepin County lead team since February 2020. But she has over two decades of experience—before joining the county, she worked with a similar program at the City of Minneapolis for 17 years and has been licensed with the State of Minnesota since 2000 as a lead paint risk assessor.
Schell works one-on-one with county residents who enroll in the lead hazard reduction grant program. She visits homes, identifies lead hazards, and discusses the family’s immediate concerns about lead exposure. Then, Schell will help contract and oversee the lead removal work alongside qualified lead removal companies.
“One of our main roles is to be the liaison between Hennepin County residents and the contractors to ensure that all lead hazards are addressed and that grant funds are used responsibly and ethically,” she said.
Eliza Schell, Lead Risk Assessor, testing a floor for lead in a resident’s home.
A primary cause of lead exposure is through home renovation activities where lead-safe work practices are not used. So Schell and her team take precautions to ensure that families aren’t exposed to lead hazards during the project.
“This is a really important piece, since many people aren’t aware that this can be so dangerous,” said Schell. “It’s vital to keep families safe during these projects. This sets our team apart from regular rehab activities that people might coordinate on their own.”
Information is key
Even though the government banned lead paint in 1978, houses built before then may contain lead. Aside from home renovation projects, a common cause of lead exposure comes from accumulated dust, especially in and around old windows—peeling and chipping windows are one of the biggest culprits.
That’s why it’s important to get your home tested and, if necessary, make some changes.
“There are steps we can take to protect ourselves and our families from lead exposure,” said Schell. “Information is key to providing a safe and healthy home.”
Hennepin County’s education and outreach efforts help to provide families with that information. County team members participate in an average of 50 outreach events every year reaching 8,000 families. And, lead experts like Schell visit families in their home to talk about the dangers of lead and how to prevent exposure. So far this year, 197 families in Hennepin County have received in-home lead education visits.
Of course, lead removal home renovations can be costly. That’s why Hennepin County offers the $15,000 grant for eligible households and case management to see the renovations through.
“Lead poisoning is preventable,” said Schell. “This is why the housing team is so passionate about our work.”