De Blasio admits 'no plan' in place to handle illegal NYC apartments that led to 11 deaths

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Daily News

[div class=“excerpt’]New York City has no plan to address the type of illegal basement apartments that played a key factor in most of the deaths caused by Tropical Storm Ida, Mayor de Blasio conceded Tuesday.

“We don’t have an immediate solution for this one,” he said.

There are at least 50,000 basements that have been illegally converted to tenant dwellings throughout the five boroughs, according to city estimates, and at least 10 of the 13 people who died due to Ida were trapped in such units. About 100,000 New Yorkers live in them.

For years, it’s been a thorny issue the city has dragged its feet addressing, and it came into stark relief last week after basement tenants in Queens were found drowned due to record rains and flash floods that quickly overwhelmed parts of the city.

Read more: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-nyc-de-blasio-illegal-basement-apartments-flood-20210907-f4cikm6m2vef3mipx3mf3zoci4-story.html

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De Blasio has always been big on progressive symbolism, but has never stepped up to deal with the actual needs of residents.

On the other hand, what are the odds of THREE Tropical Storms hitting the City?

[Effete Snob]

1. "but has never stepped up to deal with the actual needs of residents"

And these 100,000 residents need to be thrown out of their homes into the streets? How does that solve an actual problem?

[brooklynite]

4. How about a policy that actually requires homeowners to bring apartments up to code?

He’s known about illegal sublets for the 7.5 years of his Administration.

[Effete Snob]

8. One would imagine that there is such a policy - i.e. the code

Where would you like the renters to live in the meantime?

[MichMan]

10. Perhaps if it was actually being enforced over the years, it wouldn't have killed people

The real question is, why aren't those who are being paid to enforce city housing codes doing their jobs?

[AZLD4Candidate]

11. "Perhaps if it was actually being enforced over the years"

How is this de Blasio's fault if, your words, "if it was actually being enforced over the years."

For all we know, this lack of enforcement could go back to Boss Tweed.

This is like blaming Biden for what happened in Afghanistan last month, even though Trump made the deal, Bush put us there, and Obama never pulled us out after Bin Laden was killed.

[MichMan]

13. How long has DeBlasio been mayor?

He's only been in charge 7 years now.

Can't possibly be responsible for anything; just an innocent bystander.

There are 50,000 illegal apartments, not just a handful. This is either due to incompetence or willful negligent indifference by city government.

[AZLD4Candidate]

21. And how long has this been going on? Since Boss Tweed in the 1880s

Normally, you don't notice a flaw in a system until something bad happens. They didn't update weather radar in airplanes since Southern Flight 242 crashed, nor did they update issues with runway weather radar until Delta Flight 191.

You are looking for immediate solutions for systemic problems in enforcement that probably go back decades BEFORE deBlasio, even before Lindsay and LaGuardia.

You are reaching here and from your aggressiveness, don't seem to understand that sometimes it takes a tragedy to change things that most thought worked well.

On top of that, how much of the code enforcement budget has been slashed, making it impossible to do the job effectively? I can tell you that, there in Arizona, even someone as apolitical as AZ Weights and Measures is underfunded close to 35%. Again, blaming deBlasio for everything with this is like blaming Biden for the debacle in Afghanistan. This spent YEARS building and the guy on duty now gets the complete blame.

And you sidestepped everything I said.

[marybourg]

15. The code excludes apartments in areas zoned for

1 family homes. The apartments are illegal. The code would have to be re-written to allow for apartments in these homes, but most owners of 1 - family homes don’t want their neighbors to have people in their basements. At least now, if the illegal renters are troublesome, a complaint will get them thrown out.

[Retrograde]

26. First they have to find the illegal apartments

I have the feeling that the people renting out these apartments may not be as rigorous in other areas - like reporting income on the rent received or listing the occupants on census forms - and that they like to keep a low profile.

BTW, illegal apartments are not just in basements.

[IronLionZion]

2. Build more public housing?

People live in illegal basements because they can't afford normal apartments. It's pricey in NY but people have to live somewhere.

[MichMan]

5. So no big deal when landlords violate city housing codes, right?

If it ends up killing or injuring people, that's too bad for them ?

[IronLionZion]

6. I'm guessing you don't have this problem in Michigan

[MichMan]

7. Not to my knowledge.

No doubt there are isolated code violations in some rental units, but not any illegal basement apartments that I have ever heard about. I've never heard of such living arrangements in Michigan.

[IronLionZion]

9. Yeah, it might be more regional

in places with astronomical housing costs

[Retrograde]

27. I lived in a college town in MI in the 70s

There were questionable rooms - no windows, no exterior exits - on the rental market. Wherever there are people who need a place to live and don't have the means to pay market rates some unscrupulous people will find an illegal way to separate them from what rent money they have.

[uncle ray]

33. i wonder how many people freeze to death each year due to substandard housing in Michigan.

[IronLionZion]

34. That even happened in Texas this past winter

people froze to death at home with no heat.

I've lived in substandard housing several times in my life. In places without adequate insulation and plenty of broke pipes and appliances, mold, cockroaches, etc. There is a type of person who needs cheap housing. And there are unscrupulous people willing to take advantage of that situation. Repairs to crumbling apartment buildings costs money, and not everyone can afford to see their rents jacked up.

[choie]

3. I have a plan de Blasio...

You should have created safe affordable housing, how’s that for a plan?

[maxsolomon]

25. Wow, that's a good plan.

How will you finance it?

Let's say the need is 50,000 new units (the number of basement apartments). Let's say the TDC (total development cost) of building an apartment in NYC is average of $300,000 to (that's probably low when you factor in land costs).

$15,000,000,000. 15 billion dollars.

Melinda Gates & MacKenzie Scott could do it, sure, but they don't.

[choie]

35. Do you know how much

It costs NYC to provide shelter accommodations for people who are homeless? Millions a year. Don’t tell me NY doesn’t have money for affordable housing or at least to provide sufficient housing subsidies for all who need them - not just for people with children or those coming out of shelters.

[maxsolomon]

36. I will tell you that NYC doesn't have sufficient money to build 50K units of housing in 1 year.

NYC spends billions a year on affordable housing currently, but building housing is significantly more expensive than providing shelter for homeless. are those 50K basement-dwelling people already subsidized with HUD Section 8 vouchers? I don't know.


financing affordable housing is like pulling teeth, and takes years. i'm building a 120 unit subsidized building right now - the project was started in 2017, and won't be done for another 12 months. we had a year-long delay to secure the financing.

[choie]

37. I'm pretty sure they're not receiving

Vouchers because apts must pass certification and be legal domiciles

[Steelrolled]

12. How big of a problem are the illegal basement apartments during normal times?

The flooding was an extraordinary event. I think more investigation is needed.

[MichMan]

14. It's never a problem until renters are injured or killed due to floods, fires etc.

Drunk driving isn't a problem either until they kill or maim someone.

[Steelrolled]

16. That is what I'm trying to get at.

[Lancero]

19. Basically, the ol 'it's not a REAL problem unless it affects me!'

[AZLD4Candidate]

22. NIMBY, "the last nail" philosophy, and "Government is the problem"

Has been part of our lexicon since Reagan. After 40 years, it's unfortunately part of the culture now.

[OneBro]

17. Solution: Rewards and Fines

Offer rewards of 12x the amount of the monthly rent on the illegal basement, payable to anyone (including the tenant) who first reports the illegal rental, PLUS a fine equal to 12x the monthly rent on the illegal basement rental. Landlords/owners would be responsible for both payments, whether via cash or a lien on the property. There are a few kinks to work out, such as if the landlord/owner didn't know a tenant/leasee was illegally renting the space, but the liability would just shift to the tenant/leasee.

[former9thward]

18. Yes and a 100,000 people would be thrown out onto the streets.

Solution for that?

[OldBaldy1701E]

29. Well

You put 100,000 or more people out on the street without a place to live and I assure you a 'solution' will present itself. It may not be the one property owners will agree with, but there will be a solution.

[MichMan]

20. Just change the code making them all legal and the problem goes away

[AZLD4Candidate]

23. Things are not that easy

There must be proposals, public comment, debate, etc.

Even changing a speed limit on two miles of road (as we tried in my mountain town in Upstate NY when I was growing up) takes time, effort, and lobbying.

[OldBaldy1701E]

30. Unless you heavily donate to whomever is governor or head of the DOT

Then you will find all kinds of things that you want done start to happen. Easy!

[AZLD4Candidate]

31. Well, 99% of us can't do that, especially where I gew up.

[OldBaldy1701E]

32. Oh, I know

I grew up in a small southern town, of which my own uncle was part and parcel of the 'local mafia' of entitled white dudes who felt they should rule everything and be treated as gods even as they tried to appear pious and humble. The only way into their circle was to add to their wallets. It was disgusting and ridiculous, but it was also how things were. (I doubt it has changed to be honest.)

[maxsolomon]

24. It is a tough nut to crack. DiBlasio isn't going to solve it, nor the next mayor.

These units do not have legal bedroom exits - meaning a window with a min. 20" square opening less than 44" above the floor. In many cases, the windows that do exist are going to have bars over them too for security.

They basically cannot be converted to legal dwellings.

So, what to do then? Make the renters leave? These are among the city's most affordable housing units. There is probably a years-long list to get in to affordable housing (there is nearly everywhere else in the country).

Building more social housing takes years, decades, and is nearly impossible without a new FEDERAL program subsidizing the construction. That is not in the offing as long as the GQP has the Filibuster. The last program of any substantial size was Hope VI in 1992. The program has limped along since, with nothing close to impactful spending.

[Hekate]

28. This tells me there's a real shortage of affordable housing in NYC. In single-family house suburbs

…the tip-off is garage after garage with window-curtains.

It is what it is.