Summary

Across the United States, community members, advocates, and policy makers are designing and passing policies to prevent lead exposure and poisoning. As some of these policies are implemented, there is potential for unintended consequences, particularly for low-income communities and communities of color, who are often left out of decision-making processes.

In August 2018, nearly 40 experts from across the country came together at the Equity Analysis of Lead Policies Consensus Conference in Chicago. The goals of this consensus conference, were to explore the extent to which policy makers are implementing housing- and water-related lead prevention policies in consideration of equity impacts in low-income communities and communities of color, and to make recommendations to improve equity considerations in those communities.

This proceedings document represents the deliberations from the meeting and is being published to make the wealth of information that was generated publicly available to a wider community. It is not the product of technical research, but rather a synthesis of group discussions by convened experts on how lead policies, if they are not implemented with an eye toward equity, could impact low-income people and communities of color.