Blas’ Shameful Free Pass To Illegal Basement Units
In crowded New York City, where finding affordable housing can be a daunting challenge, it’s no secret that basement apartments are rented illegally by unscrupulous landlords who blatantly disregard the risk they pose to the occupants (“Blind eye to deathtraps,” Sept. 4).
In fact, most of them are de facto deathtraps with no way out in case of emergencies, especially fire and carbonmonoxide poisoning.
It’s a tragedy that 13 lives were lost due to the flash flooding after the remnants of Ida lashed New York City. Sadly, most were people found dead in basements.
This could have been avoided. It’s about time that such tragedies are preempted by having robust deterrent laws and an independent task force to check the occupancy of basements.
It would also be necessary to ensure the occupants get affordable alternate accommodation. Atul Karnik
Woodside
What part of the word “illegal” does Mayor de Blasio not understand?
He grandstands about notifying basement apartment residents to evacuate ahead of the next storm. What about the 11 people who drowned in illegal apartments? Why were they there?
He should be held responsible for the deaths of the 11 residents. The city knew many of them were there.
Do not invite illegal immigrants to New York or to the United States, as de Blasio and President Biden have done, and not provide legal shelter and food. SL Chute
Manhattan
In “Progs’ Deadly Failure To Enforce the Law,” (PostOpinion, Sept. 7) Nicole Gelinas misses a key point: The reason the city is not enforcing laws against illegal units is because that would harass the people most unable to pay fines and fix a truly dangerous situation.
Instead, the city uses its resources to harass otherwise responsible building owners with five-year façade inspections, AC brackets, expensive and unnecessary fines for elevators, trash on sidewalks left by others, etc.
Why? Because the city knows who will pay without political fuss. This is the disgrace.
Gerhardie Williams
Manhattan
Eleven people drowned inside illegal basement apartments throughout the city during the recent flooding.
My neighbors and I have been complaining about several homeowners in our neighborhood who have decided to rent out these apartments in recent years to no avail.
De Blasio announced that he would let people stay in the units, even if they didn’t meet building codes, because there’s nowhere else to put them. He plans to send first responders
door to door to evacuate tenants from basement apartments in the event of future weather emergencies.
There are an estimated 50,000 of these illegal apartments scattered through the five boroughs, which in itself makes his scheme impossible. This mayor is openly advocating for the breaking of city laws and placing the lives of innocents at risk.
Larry Feigenbaum
Brooklyn
The moron who is running the city doesn’t think we should get illegal immigrants out of illegal basement apartments because he’s worried about where they’ll end up. How about back where they came from?
Any landlord getting rich off their backs should be fined.
He knows there are deathtraps but does nothing about it. These deaths are on him.
Tony Fasano
Staten Island
Curtis Sliwa, who kept the subways and city safe when I commuted to college during the 1980s, has real solutions: Issue citations to these landlords who are renting illegally. They put a drain on city services — schools, police, hospitals, garbage collection — and don’t pay their fair share.
Shame on de Blasio, who continues to destroy the city by letting criminals dictate policies.
It’s time for law-abiding, taxpaying citizens to enjoy the city they live in. Vote for Curtis Sliwa, who delivered on promises in the past. Francesca Palma
Staten Island