PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Allergy Technologies and the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) have launched a preventive program to keep bed bugs out of the city’s public housing developments.
ATAHC involves initial facility-wide screening and subsequent treatment of infested dwellings, reducing the bed bug population immediately. The installation of long-acting preventive measures throughout the premises ensures that the bed bug population remains under control.
Allergy Technologies will initially provide training for staff and residents as part of the implementation of its ATAHC program. Allergy Technologies reports that ATAHC has been shown to reduce bed bug incidents in affordable shared accommodation by over 99 percent over two years with the goal of achieving zero bed bug infestations.
“Our residents deserve a home free of this insidious pest,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, President and CEO of PHA. “The ATAHC program was selected for its proven effectiveness and sustainability, achieved through a preventative and collaborative approach. It is not simply a reactive strategy aimed at killing bed bugs when they are reported, but rather a program that brings together residents, staff and pest control professionals in partnership to deliver a preventative solution to this complex problem.”
ATAHC is an affordable and sustainable bed bug control and prevention model developed by Allergy Technologies for affordable housing. This unique pilot program, launched in Philadelphia in 2020, has achieved notable results:
• More than 99 percent of the units had no bed bug reintroductions.
• Facilities managers realized a more than 40 percent reduction in costs associated with bed bugs.
“Residents of affordable housing are now prepared for their lives to change. ATAHC provides a solution to a major unmet need in an environment in dire need of effective bed bug prevention,” said Gus Carey, founder and CEO of Allergy Technologies.
“Our expectation is that this novel strategic program, which has saved money while significantly improving the quality of life for residents and staff, will be replicated in affordable community communities and other multi-resident communities across the United States,” he said.
“Early detection and intervention are core tenets of the ATAHC program,” concluded Joseph Latino, President of Allergy Technologies, “but the unique key component of program success comes from our ATAHC team’s collaboration with residents, property management and professional pest control providers.”
