A 71-year-old cancer survivor in New York City says she is being pushed to the brink—not by illness this time, but by a relentless rat infestation that has taken over her home.
Cora Robinson, who previously battled breast cancer, is now facing what she describes as an exhausting and emotional fight just to live safely in her apartment.
“I can’t sleep. I’m not eating. And if I don’t stop this, I’m gonna wind up in the hospital,” Robinson said, her voice heavy with frustration.
For nearly a year, she says rats have invaded her living space—running across her kitchen, climbing onto countertops, and leaving droppings on surfaces where food is prepared.
“I’m tired of cleaning poop off the stove… If you turn the oven on, it smells like them,” she said.
Armed with makeshift tools like plywood and weighted traps, Robinson spends her days trying to block entry points and capture rodents that she says have only grown bolder over time.
“I thought it would keep them from running around the baseboard… but now they’re so big they’re jumping over it,” she explained.
The infestation has not only disrupted her daily life but also raised serious health concerns. As a cancer survivor with existing health issues, Robinson fears the impact of prolonged exposure to unsanitary conditions—for both herself and her small dog, whose food and belongings she now keeps confined to a separate room for safety.
The emotional toll is evident. At one point during the interview, Robinson broke down, overwhelmed by the situation.
“I’m just… done. I’m just so disgusted,” she said.
Robinson has filed multiple complaints with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which has previously cited her landlord. The building, located on Grand Concourse, has also been the subject of a tenant lawsuit filed in 2023 alleging unlivable conditions—an ongoing case that highlights broader concerns about housing standards.
Despite the conditions, Robinson says leaving is not an option. Living on a fixed income, she cannot afford to relocate.
“Something is very wrong… if a senior can’t live comfortably,” she said.
Now, she is calling on city officials and property managers to see—and smell—the reality she faces every day.
“All these people need to come and take a look,” she said.
For Robinson, surviving cancer was supposed to mark the end of one battle. Instead, she finds herself fighting another—this time for the basic right to a safe and livable home.
