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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow the Storm Turned Basement Apartments Into Death Traps
New York TimesOn Wednesday night, the apartment turned into a death trap as water gushed into his unit and quickly overwhelmed him.
He screamed for help Ayúdame por favor, Please help me as the water climbed to the ceiling. He never made it out.
Cramped basement apartments have long been a prevalent piece of New York Citys vast housing stock, a shadowy network of illegal rentals that often lack basic safety features like more than one way to get out, and that yet are a vital source of shelter for many immigrants like Mr. Bravo.
Dorian Gray
(13,469 posts)Reading all the stories about the people who died in basement apartments is devastating. I'm still in shock about how unprepared we were as a city for this storm. Our infrastructure stinks, and I'm hoping that we are alarmed enough now to address it all.
hlthe2b
(101,713 posts)every direction one looks..
IronLionZion
(45,256 posts)there's a lot of that in my city too, which have problems with flooding and dampness.
BeerBarrelPolka
(1,202 posts)In Chicago, there are "in-law" suites that are technically illegal. With out of control rents, there will only be more and more illegal and unsafe dwellings. People need a place to live and the rents have reached unimaginable prices out this way.
Tiger8
(432 posts)God Bless America?
Despite our tremendous wealth, brainpower, technology, etc....our greedy "trickle down" economy causes millions to live in substandard housing - if they have housing at all.
God Bless America? WTF?
iluvtennis
(19,757 posts)Deep State Witch
(10,350 posts)We had the bottom floor of an apartment building flood in Rockville, MD (DC suburbs), and a 19-year-old who was living in one of the apartments got his family out, but didn't make it himself.