Raychal Collins-Struck’s Monroeville home is now safe from lead.
On Monday, local county officials and community partners gathered at the residence to announce the completion of Allegheny County’s 300th lead safe home — a milestone in the county’s work to eliminate lead hazards.
The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County’s (RAAC) program, the Lead Safe Home Program, offers free home lead inspections services to eligible homeowners, renters and landlords, administered by the Allegheny County Economic Development Department (ACED).
“Reaching our 300th lead safe home shows what’s possible when we invest in families, and this new campaign will help even more children reach their full potential,” County Executive Sara Innamorato said in a news release.
In January 2018, Allegheny County enacted Article XXIII, which enacted a universal blood testing policy that requires every child undergo blood testing between 9–12 months and again at around 24 months.
Prior to the 2018 article, lead testing rates across the county were relatively low.
However, between 2010 and 2018 testing rates nearly doubled with thousands more children screened each year.
Innamorato, joined by ACED Director Lauren Connelly and Program Manager Jennifer Saks, are working to address lead hazards in older houses, especially in communities where most of the homes were built prior to 1978.
In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gave $7.75 million to Allegheny County’s Lead Safe Homes Program, which allowed for an additional 175 homes to be lead safe.
“Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and healthy home,” Innamorato said in the release.