Citizens in the Syracuse community are left behind to deal with the lead paint issue in dated homes as government officials engage in finger-pointing over the city’s prior lead program mismanagement.

As of Aug. 4, 2016, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development denied the city’s request for a $2.9 million grant to reinstate Syracuse’s lead paint program, according to Syracuse.com. No details have yet been released as to why its application was denied.

This is the second time the city’s application was denied. Its application was deemed “deficient,” said Paul Driscoll, the city’s commissioner of neighborhood and business development, in a March 20 Syracuse.com article. Driscoll added that the department took issue with the fact that Syracuse’s application did not break down how many projects would be done in owner-occupied homes versus investor-owned homes.

This issue has been ongoing since federal officials demanded Syracuse repay $1.5 million in grant money in January 2013, according to a May 6, 2014 Syracuse.com article. During a site visit, HUD cited an issue with the fact that Syracuse officials “presumed” lead paint was present in some homes without proper testing.

According to Syracuse.com, city officials argued they had been allowed to utilize their own discretion regarding testing in the past and were not well informed that rules had changed or were to be more strongly enforced.

“If you’re going to change it, we’ll change. But don’t go back in time and exact money from us,” Driscoll said in the Syracuse.com article.

After many months of debate between HUD and the city, the government agency upheld its decision that Syracuse would need to repay the $1.5 million on the basis that they had provided rules about testing in various documents, according to Syracuse.com.

Onondaga County also receives federal funding for houses facing issues of lead paint poisoning, some of which is utilized on houses in Syracuse, but it cannot fill the void, said Robert DeMore, director of the county’s community development division, in the March 20 article on Syracuse.com.

HUD’s most recent denial for funding has caused some controversy between Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner and Rep. John Katko (R-NY).

Miner publically called out Katko in August, claiming he failed to help the city with a series of serious issues in the last few months, such as the recent decision regarding flood insurance, funding for police body cameras and this lead paint program, according to Syracuse.com.

Representatives from both Miner and Katko’s offices did not respond to requests for comment.

Miner’s comments come just three months before the election for New York’s 24th Congressional District representative. Miner has been vocal about her support for Katko’s opponent, Democrat Colleen Deacon. However, in the Aug. 16 article on Syracuse.com, she also emphasized that her issues with Katko’s lack of communication date all the way back to when he was first elected.

“He has not called me or anyone on my staff to say, ‘How can we help?’” Miner said, in the August interview with Syracuse.com.

Katko’s staffers have sent five letters of support regarding Syracuse’s grant applications since February of 2015, said Erin O’Connor, a representative for Katko, in the August interview with Syracuse.com.

O’Connor called out Miner regarding her focus on the election rather than the people of Syracuse, saying “The mayor should focus on the city’s needs, instead of a congressional race that she declined to participate in,” in the article on Syracuse.com.

The conversation among these government officials has left Syracuse citizens without answers.

This lack of answers is of major concern, considering Syracuse had the nation’s largest percentage of children with lead poisoning between 2009 and 2015, according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Lead poisoning can cause a wide variety of serious health issues such as brain damage and developmental disabilities, especially in children, according to the New York State Department of Health.

Published on September 6, 2016 at 9:46 pm

Contact BreeAnna: blposhek@syr.edu