A fight over lead contamination in rental housing is highlighting how hard it can be to protect children from lead exposure, especially in older homes.
After an alarming number of childhood lead poisoning cases, Milwaukee ordered hundreds of landlords to remove lead hazards on their properties. Unfortunately, despite the orders, many of these homes still contain lead.
Here’s what to know
Between January 2023 and August 2025, Milwaukee issued about 240 orders to landlords to address lead paint hazards, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Many of these property owners have been accused of neglecting their buildings, while others say repair costs that can reach tens of thousands of dollars are beyond what they can manage…