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Here's a situation you don't often encounter: Homeowners and landlords are entitled to free money to help correct a persistent and dangerous problem.

So why aren't they signing up in droves?

That's what McKeesport Housing Corp. wants to know about its free lead inspection program, which is also open to property owners in Clairton and Duquesne.

. . .

Back in January, MHC offered to do free lead-safety inspections --- and pay up to $6,000 for lead-hazard cleanups --- in homes and rental properties.

Jim Haughey, MHC deputy director, says the non-profit corporation went through a lot of effort to arrange funding through a Youngstown agency that has no connection to the Mon Valley. It planned to work on up to 20 homes.

"They're sending the money down here from Ohio, and they're willing to send more if we can spend it," he says.

. . .

But as of this month, only four people had signed up --- three in the city, one in Clairton and none in Duquesne.

Angelia Christina, lead inspector at MHC, thinks she knows why.

"The problem is that people --- landlords especially --- are not interested because they think it's going to be a liability," Christina says. "But if (one of their tenants) has a lead-poisoned child, it is definitely a liability for them."

In other words, what they don't know could hurt them and their tenants.

. . .

Children exposed to even low levels of lead can suffer from serious learning disorders, low IQ scores and problems with hand-eye coordination, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Exposure often comes from old house paint, where lead was once used as a pigment. Dust from paint settles on floors, window sills and stairs, and other places where kids are likely to play.

The U.S. Census reports that more than 90 percent of McKeesport's houses were built before 1970 --- eight years before lead was finally removed from house paint sold in the United States --- meaning that most city homes likely have some lead risk.

. . .

The program being funded at MHC will pay for Christina to test occupants for lead exposure, inspect the house for lead problems, and train landlords or tenants how to mitigate any hazards. (Thorough, regular cleaning of dusty areas is often enough, she says.)

An inspection doesn't necessarily mean that problems will be found, Haughey says. "You may just get a clearance --- if your house is already safe, you don't have to spend any more money," he says.

But if a lead problem is present, the program will fund up to 60 percent of the work required to make the home safe, plus $2,500 in temporary relocation costs for tenants, if necessary.

. . .

Both rental properties and owner-occupied homes are eligible, as long as at least one resident is a child under age six or a pregnant woman, Haughey says.

Testing is easy, Christina says, and MHC is not coming into homes to "spy" on residents, or looking for other building-code problems. (That's not its job, anyway.)

"My primary concern is trying to make these houses safe for children," she says.

. . .

For more information on free lead testing in McKeesport, Clairton and Duquesne, call McKeesport Housing Corp. at (412) 664-7003 or email mckhousing at gmail dot com.