Rats Thrived As Trash Piled Up 14 Stories At Harlem NYCHA Complex

HARLEM, NY — The federal monitor to the New York City Housing Authority released his first report on the state of New York City Housing this week, painting a picture of the agency's troubles to deal with issues such as lead contamination, mold and heating breakdowns.

Tucked away as an aside the 267-page report is a story about dire conditions at East Harlem's Washington Houses development that contributed to a rat infestation. Issues with pests at the development — made up of 14 buildings between East 97th and 104th streets between Second and Third avenues — are indicative of "the magnitude of NYCHA’s pest challenges across its portfolio," according to the monitor's report..

Tenants of the development sent a letter to the monitor's team describing a rat infestation so severe that residents felt like "hostages" in their own homes. Building workers refused to enter the development's compactor room out of fear of being attacked by rats, which led the building's trash chute getting clocked with garbage that piled up to the building's 14th floor.

Trash piled so high that rats would climb up the chute and gain access to apartments on the development's upper floors, according to the federal monitor's report. NYCHA didn't immediately respond to the residents' letter because the development was not included in the city's "rat reduction zone," according to the report.

It wasn't until the monitors team notified the city that they took action at the development, federal monitor Bart Schwartz writes in his report.

"The problem at Washington Houses is, unfortunately, not an isolated circumstance at NYCHA. NYCHA must establish a much more aggressive and comprehensive pest reduction plan to eliminate pest infestations across all the developments if NYCHA is to be compliant with the many deadlines and other pest-related requirements listed in the Agreement that must be met within the next three years," the report reads.

Schwartz began his tenure as the federal monitor to NYCHA in February. He is tasked with ensuring that the embattled agency holds up its end of a sweeping oversight deal reached between the city and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in January. The agreement includes strict benchmarks for the housing authority to address problems with lead paint, mold, heating failures, elevator breakdowns and pests.