UPDATED: Oct. 28, 2021 at 2:15 p.m.

In a city where the housing stock is aging, lead paint may be hidden under layers of fresh paint. Though it may become exposed, it’s not currently considered a code violation in Syracuse.

The Daily Orange tested more than 30 homes in the University Neighborhood for exposed lead paint. About one-third tested positive.

Landlords in New York state are required to inform prospective tenants of any known lead paint hazards, but they are not required to conduct new assessments, according to the New York Attorney General’s website. Landlords also aren’t required to test for lead paint or allow prospective tenants to conduct testing prior to renting. 

Thirty-one homes, located on Clarendon Street and Lancaster, Euclid, Sumner, Ackerman, Livingston and Ostrom avenues, were tested. The test area extended to Clarendon Street to the north and just past Stratford Street to the south. That area contains about 250 homes. 

Ten of the homes tested contained exposed lead paint, which was used to coat the interiors and exteriors of homes until 1978, when the federal government banned the commercial use of the product. About 91% of homes in Syracuse were built prior to 1980, according to the U.S. Census. 

The homes that were found to have exposed lead paint were 620 Euclid Ave., 500 Clarendon Street, 719, 819, 831, 839 and 865 Ackerman Ave. and 815, 826 and 830 Sumner Ave. Of the homes that were tested, all but 831 Ackerman Ave. are tenant occupied. 

The median age of the housing stock in the University Neighborhood dates to 1940, according to data from the city’s Department of Community Development. The University Neighborhood is bordered in part by Thornden Park to the north, Westcott Street to the east and Comstock Avenue to the west. The neighborhood has 945 housing units.

Lead paint is present in millions of homes but is sometimes concealed by layers of non-lead-based paint, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The paint, which can be safe if in good condition or if covered by non-lead-based paint, becomes hazardous when it begins to peel, chip, crack or otherwise deteriorate.

Meg McPherson, a Syracuse University senior who lives on the 800 block of Sumner Ave., and Lauren Perry, a senior at SUNY-ESF who lives on the 700 block of Ackerman Ave., were both unsure what the consequences were of having exposed lead paint in their homes.

“I feel like I know that I should be worried about it, but I don’t know a lot about what it means exactly. But it’s definitely concerning,” McPherson said. 

Though lead paint is particularly harmful to children and pregnant women, adults who are exposed to lead can experience raised blood pressure and hypertension, reproductive problems and a decline in kidney function. Exposure to lead can cause behavioral and learning problems in children and can also affect a pregnant woman’s developing fetus. 

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Lead found in areas of daily use that are prone to wear-and-tear, such as windows, door frames, stairs and porches, can also be hazardous. The D.O. tested door frames, windows and entryways for lead. Exposed lead paint was found on seven door frames, two doors and one window. 

A variety of university-area landlords own the properties that tested positive for exposed lead paint. Ben Tupper, owner of Rent from Ben, owns 839 Ackerman Ave. and 826 and 830 Sumner Ave. OPR Developers owns 815 Sumner Ave. and 819 Ackerman Ave., and John O. Williams Properties owns 865 Ackerman Ave. John Williams, Jr. owns 719 Ackerman Ave.

Rent from Ben spent more than 500 hours this summer painting the interiors and exteriors of their properties to ensure they were clean and lead-free, Tupper said in an emailed statement. 

“Our goal with our houses is to annually reapply coats of non-lead based paint on surfaces, both interior and exterior, to seal off the old paint and eliminate contact as is recommended by the EPA and other lead eradication entities,” he said.

Tupper said the three properties found to have exposed lead paint will be repainted by the end of the business day on Tuesday. None of Tupper’s 13,000 tenants have experienced or complained about lead-related symptoms, he said. 

“I would also remind everyone who grew up in a home built before 1970, like I did and most of my tenants did, that we all had this type of pre-1978 lead paint exposure our whole lives in our family homes, and it’s not something unique to Syracuse homes or Syracuse University dorms and buildings,” Tupper said. 

Euclid Real Property Associates, LLC owns 620 Euclid Ave. Alan Poushter and his brothers own several homes in the University Neighborhood, including 500 Clarendon Street.

The Common Council is drafting legislation to allow testing for lead paint as part of code inspections, Syracuse.com reported.

McPherson said her landlord has been helpful, stopping by to fix problems with the property within a day or two. Perry also said her landlord fixes problems anytime there are any. 

Katherine Weeks, a junior architecture major, moved into her home on the 800 block of Sumner Avenue in the middle of August. Knowing the effects lead paint can have on small children and developing adults, she said having lead paint in her home is “kind of concerning.”

“I feel like, by talking to him about this, he’ll probably keep it up and paint over it,” Weeks said. 

A Rent from Ben employee told Tupper that a sealant primer was placed on the affected homes Tuesday, with a coat of exterior paint being applied Wednesday, Tupper said.

A complete list of homes tested begins as follows:

Ackerman Avenue

525, 719, 735, 817, 819, 822, 823, 826, 831, 839, 845, 865, 904

Euclid Avenue

318, 416, 419, 502, 520, 602, 617, 620, 701

Sumner Avenue

815, 830, 826

Livingston Avenue

718, 824

Lancaster Avenue

822

Ostrom Avenue

763, 787

Clarendon Street

500

Asst. news editor Gabe Stern and assistant copy editors Richard J Chang and Gillian Follett contributed reporting to this article. 

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the owner of 620 Euclid Ave. was misstated. Euclid Real Property Associates, LLC is the owner. The Daily Orange regrets this error. 

Published on October 8, 2019 at 11:19 pm

Contact Emma: esfolts@syr.edu