She Was Just Given The Job Of New York City’s Very First Rat Czar, And She’s Trying To Take Control Of The City’s Terrible Rat Problem
If you’ve ever lived or been to New York City, chances are, you’ve encountered a rat on the street.
Over the years, New York City rats have become increasingly a part of New Yorkers’ lives. You can see them while waiting for the subway, dodge them as you walk on certain streets at night, and you need to keep your apartment extra clean to avoid them coming into your home.
Yet, in many cases, they still do.
Although many like to joke about the rats in New York City, they’ve become a serious issue requiring action from the Mayor’s office. NYC’s rat population has become massive, as The Atlantic estimated there are approximately 2 million rats across 90% of the city.
In addition, rats have become increasingly present in lower-income neighborhoods.
The rats can carry dangerous diseases and are generally not pleasant to have in your home or crawl near your feet as you sit on a park bench.
Back in December, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced he would be hiring someone to oversee the city’s rat problem specifically. This month, he finally named Kathleen Corradi, the city’s official director of rodent mitigation. She’s also known as New York City’s ‘rat czar.’
“Rats impact how you feel about the city that you’re in, and that’s why we’re taking this serious,” said Mayor Adams at a recent press conference.
Kathleen has worked for New York City’s public school system for years, working on various sustainability and science projects. Her job as director of rodent mitigation will not be an easy one.
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Still, she’s determined to help improve the quality of life for many New Yorkers as she introduces science and research-based operations to take control of the city’s heinous rat population.
“Rat mitigation is more than a quality-of-life issue for New Yorkers,” said Kathleen Corradi at a recent press conference.
“Rats are a symptom of systemic issues, including sanitation, health, housing, and economic justice. As the first director of rodent mitigation, I’m excited to bring a science- and systems-based approach to fight rats.”
In addition to launching city-wide plans for rodent control, Kathleen and Mayor Adam’s administration will be honing in on the neighborhoods across all boroughs with the largest rodent populations, like Harlem, Chinatown, Grand Concourse, Prospect Heights, Bushwick, etc.
Mayor Adams also announced that $3.5 million will be allocated to rapidly controlling Harlem’s rat issue.
A lot of the rat mitigation will involve cutting off their food sources, so Mayor Adams and his administration are encouraging New Yorkers to be more mindful of their trash and food waste.
The Department of Sanitation has implemented new trash set-out times and encourages New Yorkers to be extra conscious of what’s going on inside their homes, being sure to keep their spaces clean and sealing any cracks or holes in or around their building.
“We are especially excited to have the rat czar’s leadership, and we welcome her to the frontlines of this critical battle for health and quality of life for all New Yorkers,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan.
Did you ever think there would be a day when someone was given the title of ‘rat czar?’ Best wishes to Kathleen Corradi on her mission!
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