The city of Newburgh and a housing agency say they’re trying to figure out what’s causing a sudden infestation of giant rats at an apartment building in the city.  

A family of eight is staying at a nearby hotel while the housing agency, Rupco, which manages the South Street property, examines the problem.  

Natasha Patterson says her family has spotted rats over the past couple months, but they have recently become too many to trap with the help of Rupco.  

"I've been up crying every night because my kids. Nobody wants their kids to go through that,” says Patterson. “If you have kids, you want your kids running around and seeing rats around your house?" 

Rupco, a nonprofit, is working with the city of Newburgh to rat-proof the building.  

Mayor Torrance Harvey of Newburgh says the problem could be caused by sewer-cleaning or nearby construction.  

Rupco is paying for the Pattersons' hotel stay and hopes to have the problem resolved in two weeks. 

The Patterson family is considering taking their federal housing voucher and leaving the Hudson Valley after this problem.