Rat Sightings Rise In North Bushwick Despite City's $32M Effort

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — Northern Bushwick saw a rise in rodent complaints last year despite the city's $32 million plan to attack the rats in the neighborhood.

Bushwick residents north of Wilson Avenue made 274 rat-sighting complaints in 2018, according to a RentHop report published Monday.

That's 10 complaints higher than the rat sightings 311 registered in 2017, the same year Mayor Bill de Blasio launched his Neighborhood Rat Reduction Plan in the area.

Bushwick was one of six neighborhoods singled out by the de Blasio administration for a $32 million plan to tackle rat problems where they were worst.

The plan funded rat-proof, solar powered trash compactors, more frequent garbage pickups and tackling rodent-infestations in public housing in Bushwick, Bed-Stuy the Lower East Side, Chinatown in Manhattan, and Grand Concourse in The Bronx.

RentHop data show parts of Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, Chinatown and Little Italy saw increases in 311 complaints.

Brooklyn far outpaced the other boroughs when it came to 311 rat-sighting complaints last year, RentHop figures show. Kings County had 6,565 rat sighting while Manhattan, the second runner up, had just 4,295.

Check out RentHop's map below to see how frequently rats are spotted in your neighborhood.