The city of Syracuse has now made it illegal to have lead paint in homes.

Officials say that 11 percent of children living in the city suffer from lead poisoning as many homes in the area were built before 1978, when lead paint was banned for residential use.

On Monday, the Common Council passed the Lead Abatement and Control Ordinance which makes it a code violation to have lead pain. Landlords must address the problem or they could go to court.

$12 million dollars in grant money will be made available to help landlords mitigate problems on their properties.

Starting this fall, Syracuse plans to hire a lead paint program coordinator, have more inspectors certified, and begin testing.