Most motorists traveling down the busy West Bluemound Road likely pass the historic home at 8416 without giving it much thought, if they even notice it at all, yet on Nov. 5, the two-story house just west of Robertson Street became the poster home for a new Milwaukee County program targeting lead-based paint.
Lead is a common hazard in older homes, built before 1978, when the metal was outlawed in paint. The county has received federal funding for a new Lead Hazard Reduction Program, and county residents who suspect their houses might contain lead are encouraged to apply.
For a brief moment, at the tail end of the morning rush hour, 8416 W. Bluemound Road was the center of the county and city political world. Posing for a group photo in front of the home were County Executive David Crowley, Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride, County Supervisor Shawn Rolland and two officials from the county's housing division.
"Most of our homes are quite old. Old homes almost invariably contain lead paint," McBride said at the morning's news conference, held inside the renovated home. "So there are many properties in my community that have potential lead hazards."
TV and radio reporters crammed into the room around a lectern as each public official took turns speaking. Two years ago, this room and the rest of the house was in serious disrepair. Now it featured new floors, new windows, new electrical and plumbing systems, freshly painted walls, sharp new exterior siding and a new concrete walkway to the front porch.
Lead abatement was just part of the transformation here. The house, built in 1855, was acquired by the county in 2023 though a tax foreclosure and then fully gutted and renovated — one of 10 such homes that the county now plans to resell to first-time homebuyers through a partnership with the nonprofit ACTS Housing.
County officials cited the house as an example to underscore the importance of removing lead from as many other homes as possible, which they are now doing with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"Exposure to lead can cause lasting health issues and developmental delays, especially in our young children," Crowley said. He said he and his administration worked with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin to secure federal funding for these abatement efforts.
"It is my sincere hope that this effort that we're announcing today serves as reminder to our leaders, particularly in the nation's capital, that we can always come together to do great things for our community," Crowley said.
County officials said the federal money is available for up to three years or until it runs out. They expect to be able to remove lead from about 200 homes in the county, at estimated costs ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 per house.
More information is available on the county's website or by calling 414-278-4917.
