Today, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt announced a $10.2 million investment in complete and permanent abatement this fall of lead-based paint at 63 additional child care centers on NYCHA campuses across the city.
This abatement builds on previous testing through NYCHA's Lead-Based Paint Abatement Program of all 75 child care centers that are on NYCHA campuses. Six of the positive child care centers have already been abated and the remaining centers are regularly inspected and any deteriorating paint is promptly stabilized and repaired. NYCHA conducts regular inspections of all common facilities for lead hazards - at a rate higher than the national standard - and remediates conditions swiftly, without major disruptions to service provision or facility access. NYCHA also accelerates lead-based paint abatement in apartments where children under the age of six live or routinely visit.
"Every child care center in the city needs to be safe, high-quality and hazard-free - New York City children deserve nothing less. That is why our administration is making sure every single NYCHA child care center is permanently lead-free this fall - and investing more than $10 million in the most aggressive public housing lead inspection and abatement program in the country. We will not stop until our buildings are safe and our children can learn and grow in peace," said Mayor Mamdani.
"NYCHA's lead abatement program continues to make significant strides to protect New Yorkers' health and safety. With this investment and over 20,000 apartments abated, the Mamdani administration and NYCHA are moving decisively and proactively to address lead hazards for families across the city," said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
"Following the signing of the 2019 HUD Agreement, we began building a best-in-class lead program with one goal: creating lead-free homes for NYCHA families," said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. "I'm incredibly proud that we have now abated 20,000 apartments, creating healthier, lead-free homes for NYCHA residents while prioritizing families with young children. The progress we've made is the result of an unwavering commitment to thorough testing, safe and permanent lead abatement, and rigorous quality assurance at every stage of the process. Thanks to the Mamdani administration's $10.2 million investment to continue this critical work in childcare centers on NYCHA properties, we will build on this momentum and remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the health and well-being of generations of NYCHA families."
NYCHA has made substantial progress on removal of lead hazards across all of its properties, a key pillar area of the Authority's 2019 Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Through its Lead-Based Paint Abatement Program, NYCHA has successfully completed testing in 97 percent of apartments and abating at a rate of 300 to 400 apartments monthly. The Authority has abated more than 20,000 apartments to be completely lead-free, and is on track to meet the goal set forth in the HUD Agreement. NYCHA also accelerates lead-based paint abatement in apartments where children under the age of six live or routinely visit. Between February 1 and April 30, 2026, just two cases of elevated blood lead levels were reported for children living in NYCHA apartments - down from 10 and 8 cases during the same period in 2024 and 2025.
As part of the agreement, in addition to apartments, NYCHA must test and abate common areas of its developments including its centers. The plan to abate and test these centers was developed in coordination with NYCHA's federal monitor.
The $10.2 million investment in lead paint abatement at child care centers is a part of a $195 million capital investment in FY27 to test and abate lead in NYCHA buildings citywide, part of a historic $5.6 billion capital investment in NYCHA - the largest such City investment in recent history.
