In the face of a growing lead scandal at the city's public housing authority, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday night that he is launching a new program to go after the problem, directing the inspection of about 130,000 public housing units.

It was recently revealed that more than 800 children in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) tested positive for elevated lead levels over a five-year period.

In an interview on "Inside City Hall" on NY1 on Monday night, the mayor said the city would inspect every public housing apartment where lead might be present — about 130,000 in all.

He also promised that the city would begin contacting all families with children who have been poisoned by lead, to offer them help.

The mayor did not say how the city would pay for the expanded lead inspections, which he admitted would require time and money. The public housing authority has been strapped for cash and has struggled to pay for basic repairs.