Model Gigi Hadid Resonates With Other New York Residents Facing Rat Problems

An estimated 3 million rodents live in New York City, with mitigation efforts in full swing to help decrease the population.
Model Gigi Hadid Resonates With Other New York Residents Facing Rat Problems
Gigi Hadid attends as Victoria's Secret celebrates The Tour '23 in New York City on Sept. 6, 2023. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret
Elma Aksalic
Updated:
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Model Gigi Hadid is facing a common rodent issue at her New York City apartment, shedding light on a growing problem affecting many residents for years.

In a recent interview with “Architectural Digest,” Hadid shared her inspiration behind the design of her Manhattan home, but not without the unwelcome pests.

“The way I designed and decorated my homes or apartments at first and the evolution of my fashion style are similar,” she said.

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“When I first moved to New York, my style was very on trend all the time and the way I decorated my apartments was safe and quite simple.”

When asked what she hoped to change about her house, Hadid revealed she had been dealing with a rat problem. She said she splits her time between her homes in New York and Pennsylvania and is currently renovating part of the apartment in hopes of getting rid of the rats for good.

“My outdoor space in New York is getting a little update because we had a rat problem in New York, and some of the original designs of the space didn’t help that problem,” she said.

Hadid reportedly spent over $5 million in 2018 on her Noho town-home in lower Manhattan, combining the place with her already existing two-bedroom unit which she purchased for nearly $4 million three years prior.

Hadid’s rat problem is more than just a personal inconvenience; it highlights a larger issue plaguing New York City. Rodents have long been a persistent challenge, raising major concerns for public health, sanitation, and city infrastructure.

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According to the Long Island-based pest control company MMPC, an estimated 3 million rats in the city in 2023, with the issue only intensifying over the years.
Back in September, the New York City Council greenlit a pilot program that uses ContraPest, a type of birth control, in hopes of finding a less harmful way to reduce the rat population.
Female rats produce litters of five to 12 offspring, depending on the species, and can produce as many as seven litters per year, according to PetMD.

In conjunction with the initiative, officials note other steps, such as having city residents put trash in containers and not directly on the sidewalk, will assist with the effectiveness of the program.

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According to the NYC Department of Sanitation, 44 million pounds of trash are generated by New Yorkers every day.
As of 2023, the department launched a pilot trash program, implementing containers in some areas of the city, and as a result, the number of rat complaints and sightings went down in 12 of the previous 13 months compared with the year before.

During that same time, Mayor Eric Adams appointed its first rat czar, Kathleen Corradi, who is dedicated to assisting city agencies in pest management, specifically cutting off rat food sources, better sanitation habits, sealing up cracks and exclusion techniques.

Corradi also sought to raise awareness of rodents’ behaviors among New Yorkers through tours and educational opportunities.

Elma Aksalic
Elma Aksalic
Freelance Reporter
Elma Aksalic is a freelance entertainment reporter for The Epoch Times and an experienced TV news anchor and journalist covering original content for Newsmax magazine.
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