For nearly a decade, Children's Law Center Attorney Kathy Zeisel has been fighting for healthier homes across the District. One property name has crossed her desk far too many times - Forest Ridge.
In an interview with WUSA 9, Kathy shared how hazardous housing conditions - including indoor mold, lead exposure and infestations - can cause serious health issues for DC children.
One child, 8-year-old Trinity Johnson, developed chronic asthma due to the unhealthy conditions in her Forest Ridge apartment. Thanks to our medical-legal partnership with Children's National Hospital and with encouragement from Trinity's doctors, Trinity's mom reached out to Children's Law Center.
With many more children and families who need legal support than our attorneys can represent, we are grateful that one pro bono firm stepped in to help. They've been working tirelessly to advocate for Trinity and her family.
However, there have been many complicating factors including housing subsidies that limit the family's ability to relocate.
"At a place like Forest Ridge...families [are put] in the hard place of choosing between being homeless because they can't afford to move off the property or...rolling the dice on maybe this property will be better," Zeisel said.
|
| |
Children's Law Center lawyer Kathy Zeisel shares strategies on how DC can do more to inspect and prevent unhealthy housing.
|
It's the reason we've taken on healthy housing as a top priority. Too many children like Trinity are making trips back and forth to the ER instead of back and forth to their school.
Join as we fight for Trinity and the thousands of other children like her. Learn more about our Healthy Housing DC campaign or follow the #healthyhousingdc conversation on Twitter.
| 
