People in lower tax brackets tend to struggle more in order to pay their bills — even basic ones like rent. This often means that they may live in low-income housing here in Cleveland that allows them to pay a lower of amount of rent so they can get by. The question is whether living in low-income housing increases the risk of asbestos exposure for those residents.
It is possible the answer to that question is yes. Anyone living in an older building may risk some exposure, but in the older buildings here in Cleveland used for low-income housing, the risk may be higher. This is due to the fact that those buildings are not as well-kept as other buildings. Broken tiles, exposed insulation and other materials containing asbestos could be in those buildings.
No level of exposure to asbestos is safe. The problem is that residents may not find out for decades that their living arrangements harmed their health. People living in low-income housing may not even be afforded the right to know that this toxic substance could exist in their homes. Federal law does not always require testing for asbestos or disclosure of it.
Just because a family faces significant financial struggles does not mean that their lives are any less valuable than the lives of anyone else. Asbestos exposure is a real danger in low-income housing, and residents could experience health issues later in life because of it. If they are not made aware of the potential for exposure and contract an asbestos-related illness, it could be a challenge to trace it to the source.