Posted: January 29th, 2009

Prof. Anita Weinberg writes:

I’m attaching to this email a summary of a proposal that I hope will be part of any economic stimulus package and that goes directly to . . . ensuring that public health criteria is applied to any infrastructure investments.  The  shovel-ready stimulus package would also make housing lead-safe and protect children from lead poisoning.   The proposal was drafted on behalf of the Illinois Lead Safe Housing Task Force. 

The Task Force, staffed and housed at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, is an alliance of individuals and public, private and not-for-profit groups committed to ending childhood lead poisoning.

The Task Force includes representatives of community based organizations, property management and realtor associations, the insurance industry, and children’s health and welfare advocacy groups; officials from State and local public health and housing agencies; and parents of children who have been lead poisoned, tenant advocates, physicians, and attorneys.The Task Force advocates for policy reform, promotes public awareness, and fosters collaborations to achieve its mission.

The attached ”shovel-ready” proposal would create jobs; provide new skills in careers that can be maintained after the stimulus effort has concluded; and invest in jobs that contribute to creating healthy, sustainable, economically strong communities. In addition, it emphasizes equity, ensuring that the people hurting the most get the most benefit. If one overlaid maps showing where lead hazards in housing are most prevalent, where there is a scarcity of decent housing, where jobs are most scarce (and one could add, where many families are involved in the child welfare system – at least in Illinois), the maps would be close to identical.

Funding the “ready to go” infrastructure of lead abatement programs and investing in healthy housing, the Obama Economic Stimulus Package could not only jump-start the recovery of our ailing economy, but also end a shameful preventable disease affecting our must vulnerable citizens – our own children.