The federal government shutdown is impacting the city of Milwaukee's efforts to clean up lead hazards in homes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The Wisconsin city has been under a "stop work order" from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for nearly a year.
The agency was nearly ready to lift the stop work order, but the federal government shutdown interrupted any further processing of the lifted order.
Milwaukee officials have been working to get the order lifted since February 2018, when HUD sent a letter to the Milwaukee Health Department calling on the city to immediately cease work funded by its Lead Hazard Reduction grant.
City officials at the time called it a "temporary pause" that would "provide us with welcome support in improving the program."
Lead paint has been identified as the primary source of lead poisoning in the city and the primary focus of any abatement efforts, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik said.
The city currently has other sources for lead abatement funding that it is using to promote work during the shutdown, but the funds aren't sufficient. The city also faces a dearth of contractors working with the city to remove lead hazards in Milwaukee homes.
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