Image Credit: NYCHA.

The new Pest and Waste Management plan will better coordinate and handle pest and waste incidents by targeting the root causes of infestations and waste incidents. On January 26, 2021, the Federal Monitor approved the New York City Housing Authority’s Pest and Waste Management Action Plan. This plans approval follows two years of improvements made by the City Housing Authority.

Last year the Waste Management Department was created to better coordinate responses to pest and waste incidents. The organizational change included the adoption of an Integrated Pest Management model to root out pest causes, conduct routine appointments, perform corrective maintenance, and educate residents. The City Housing Authority has been training its staff with the Integrated Pest Model for the last two years.

The New York City Housing Authority plans to introduce information technology improvements to better the Integrated Pest Management’s effectiveness in addressing waste and pest issues. The City Housing Authority is also committed to investing in upgrades to outdated pest and waste management infrastructure. These upgrades include:

• Rat slabs will be installed as per the city’s Neighborhood Rat Reduction Initiative.
• Ground floor doors will be enlarged for trash chutes.
• Outdated waste infrastructure and compactor upgrades.

Projects have been begun in 64 departments across NYCHA, through the Waste Management Plan funded by capital funds totaling around $55 million. The city plans on assisting in increasing NYCHA’s capacity to deal with larger waste by installing cardboard balers and recycling infrastructure, re-designing waste yards, and installing bulk crushers.

New York City Housing Authority Chair & CEO Greg Russ stated, “The waste management upgrades and standardized procedures outlined in this Plan will help improve our ability to address this important area of need for our residents.”

By: Patrick McNeill (Patrick is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2022.)