Rats have run of Brooklyn neighborhood

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A construction boom near the Brooklyn Navy Yard has created a nightmare for residents. The development appears to have led to a problem with rats and other vermin.

How you feel about change often depends on your perspective. Folks at the Farragut Houses in Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn, have a hard time feeling good about the development happening around them with all the rats running around.

Tony Herbert, a community leader and candidate for public advocate, says the issue has been compounded by neglecting the needs of NYCHA residents.

A variety of other issues are happening, including the installation of new pipes and a new grocery store taking shape across the street. And then there is the trash.

A NYCHA spokesperson released a statement: "All of our residents deserve to live in well maintained developments. We can and must do better. Staff was onsite today to remove trash and exterminate the area. An exterminator will continue to treat the area weekly."