The Minneapolis Health Department’s Lead and Healthy Homes team is committed to preventing lead poisoning in children. By educating and removing lead hazards in Minneapolis homes, the City is building healthier communities and futures for its children.
“In Minneapolis, our priority is creating an environment in which our children can grow to be happy, healthy, thriving adults—and the Lead and Healthy Homes program demonstrates our commitment to that goal,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “We know that there is no safe amount of lead exposure. That’s why my 2025 budget includes more than $1 million to invest in new City funding to help us stay on track to become the first city in the country to eliminate childhood lead poisoning.”
Since 1998, the City has invested and secured grant funding of approximately $60 million to ensure homes are safe and free from lead hazards for families. Pending approval by the council, the Health Department will invest around $3.5 million next year on its lead program between City and federal dollars.
The City’s lead team partners with the Sustainable Resource Center and provides the Leadie Eddie mobile testing van. They bring lead testing and education events to Minneapolis communities. To date:
- The Health Department hosted 19 lead education events
- 265 children received a blood-lead test
- 55 families received in-home visits from City of Minneapolis staff to evaluate their homes for lead hazards
“There is always more work to be done in communities at a higher risk for lead exposure, and those living in older buildings with legacy pollutants like lead-paint,” said Alex Vollmer, Minneapolis Health Department’s Lead and Healthy Homes manager. “We do not want our children serving as lead detectors. Our goal is to proactively work with community members and focus on prevention through education and outreach.”
Education and prevention keeping young children safe
A common cause of lead exposure is dust from paint in homes built before 1978, the year the federal government banned consumer use of lead-based paint. It can be found inside and outside the home on places such as windows, doors and porch floors.
Jamie Laudert, a Minneapolis resident, received help from the City to remove lead paint found in her 100-year-old Minneapolis home after her young children tested for elevated blood-lead levels.
“After my children tested for elevated blood-lead levels, I was worried,” said Jamie Laudert, Minneapolis resident. “Thanks to the City, I no longer feel nervous about my children being exposed to lead. The City of Minneapolis did a great job providing us resources and information, and l now feel my home is a much safer place to live.”
The Health Department uses historical records of where and how children are exposed to lead to prioritize where to send resources before a child is poisoned.
“Learning that your children have elevated blood lead levels, like Jamie Laudert did, is heartbreaking,” said City Council Member Jason Chavez, Ward 9. “That is why we must recommit to addressing this issue head-on.”
“Lead poisoning continues to be a critical issue that negatively impacts the health and wellbeing of our residents, especially folks on the Northside,” said City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, Ward 5. “I have known about this issue and know people in my community who have been personally impacted by lead poisoning for a long time. Historically when children experience adverse effects from lead poisoning, that’s how folks learned if they have lead in their homes.”
Lead health effects
About 75% of lead poisoning cases come from rental properties, which tend to be rented to low-income families and disproportionately families of color.
Lead poisoning can cause serious health issues, such as:
- Delayed development and learning
- Behavioral problems
- Slowed growth
- Hearing loss
“Lead is not meant to be in our bodies. It is a toxin, a poison,” said Amy Waller, Hennepin County Public Health nurse. “It causes damage to the brain and nervous system, which can make it harder for children to grow and learn. The problem is that there are usually no signs or symptoms of lead poisoning right away. The effects take months or years to show up. The only way to know someone is lead poisoned is to have a blood test.”
Contact your health care provider and test your child for lead poisoning if they:
- Are under 6 years old
- Live in a home built before 1978
- Live in a home with recent repairs to painted wood trim, walls or floors
- If you are concerned for your child’s health
Lead facts and resources
- A blood test is the best way to find out if a child has lead poisoning.
- There is no safe level of lead exposure in children.
- Lead is toxic, especially in young children.
- Lead may also be brought into the home on work clothes, shoes, hair, and pets.
- Learn more about lead testing and the City’s services
- Watch Jamie Laudert’s lead prevention story
- Lead protection: How to properly clean your windows