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Research & Projects
Integrated Pest Management in NYC public housing
The mission of the project was to decrease the prevalence of cockroaches and rodents in public housing, and by doing so, reduce the need for pesticide use and the rate of asthma morbidity.
Beginning in 1999, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2, the New York City Department of Health, New York City Housing Authority and Hunter College COEH embarked on a collaborative Integrated Pest Management (IPM) project in a public housing development in East Harlem: Lehman Village Houses. The theory driving the IPM initiative was to eliminate pests' access to shelter, food and water, and to limit their ability to seek alternative sources of sustenance. The IPM intervention was educating residents about the program, asthma and the health hazards of pesticides. The project was cleaning apartments and common areas; caulking and sealing holes in walls; and working with the Housing Authority to improve sanitation in garbage chutes and holding sites. Preliminary results from the project were very positive with significant decreases in cockroach and rodent infestations.
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