Seattle News and Events for Sept. 15-21, 2016

Council adopts motion to prevent lead poisoning in King County

Exposure to lead, especially for young children and infants, continues to be a significant health concern. The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its unanimous support to a King County Board of Health resolution calling for steps to prevent lead poisoning, which is known to have health effects, including decreased physical growth, learning disabilities, decreased IQ, and behavioral problems.

Lead exposure is a danger to children because growing bodies absorb proportionally more lead than adults. Incidents in Issaquah and Tacoma, along with the national impact of the heavy lead exposure in Flint, Michigan, have increased awareness of the continuing issue of lead exposure, which led the King County Board of Health to issue a call for measures to reduce potential exposure to lead.

The adopted motion supports measures approved by the Board of Health. Those steps include:

• Calling on federal and state lawmakers to take meaningful action to address lead poisoning;
• Encouraging and exploring requiring all King County health care providers to adopt Washington State Department of Health guidance for lead screening of all children at ages twelve and twenty-four months; and
• Encouraging Washington state to update the occupational safety standards for lead in Washington state to provide greater protection for workers and their families.

DFI Warns of Payday Telemarketer Scam

DFI has received a complaint from a Washington State consumer regarding an apparent Payday Telemarketer SCAM. The consumer provided DFI with a voicemail from an unspecified company that claimed the consumer "pre-qualified" for a payday loan. The voicemail stated that the company "picks 50 loan applications" every day for "pre-approved" loans up to $1,000.00. It then stated that the consumer was the 26th pick of the day.

The company used the following phone number: 313-444-1029

The company did not provide its name in the voicemail.

If you suspect unlicensed activity by a payday lender or consumer loan company, please contact the Department at 1-877-RING-DFI (746-4334), or online at www.dfi.wa.gov. Even if the activity involves a loan over the internet, a license may still be required.

If you live in another state, go to this webpage to find the regulator in your home state.

If you feel you have been the victim of a scam please contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) or online at www.ftc.gov; or contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (855) 411-CFPB (2372) or online at www.consumerfinance.gov.

If the scammers already have your bank account information, social security number, or other nonpublic information, you may be a victim of identity theft and you should take appropriate precautions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has information for victims of identity theft available online at www.ftc.gov.

If you feel you have been the victim of a scam involving the internet please contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center online at www.ic3.gov.

If you feel you have been the victim of a financial scam and are concerned about your personal financial information, contact your banking institution and the three major credit bureaus. Procedures for contacting the credit bureaus are available on the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov.

City of Seattle, Seattle Housing Authority and Seattle Public Schools Announce New Pilot

Wednesday Mayor Ed Murray announced a new partnership between the City of Seattle, the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) and Seattle Public Schools (SPS) to provide stable housing for SPS families with school-age children, ensuring an uninterrupted school year and educational consistency. This partnership will begin as a pilot project at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School this year, where 17 percent of the students are homeless or unstably housed.

The Home from School pilot will offer assistance to families to find a stable home, get back on their feet and keep their children at Bailey Gatzert all year. To accomplish this goal, SHA will contract with a service provider to provide outreach, enrollment, and pre and post-move support, including services such as housing research, assistance with barriers to leasing and connecting families to neighborhood resources and services.

More than 80 percent of students at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School qualify for Free and Reduced Priced Lunch and a significant number of these students have experienced complex trauma including housing instability and homelessness. The 2014-2015 student turnover rate for Bailey Gatzert Elementary School was 31 percent.

Participation in the program will be voluntary and priority will be given to families experiencing homelessness. This pilot initiative will begin at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School in the Yesler neighborhood, but if results are promising SHA may in the future expand the initiative to different schools in different neighborhoods.

For more Seattle and Portland area events, see the Community Calendar.