How NYC ‘Parasite’ Apartments Became Death Traps
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- Опубликовано: 25 окт 2021
- Basement apartments in New York City turned into death traps during Hurricane Ida as they filled with water in minutes.
Yet immigrants are living underground, despite unsafe conditions, in a city that lacks affordable housing.
Landlords who rented out their basements say it’s the city’s responsibility to provide more affordable housing options and improve the infrastructure in preparation for future floods.
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Watch next: Why cities keep flooding over and over again ruclips.net/video/PLFJzosXsLQ/видео.html
Just a reminder that yes, not every Asian American is ridiculously successful.
Anyone staying in a moderately sized city knows that. There are many Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Chinese, and Filipino living paycheck to paycheck in the US.
Most of them are not homeless
Just a reminder, these aren't Americans, they are Asian immigrants.
@@Blaze6432 exactly ....and the people renting out these places are their own people....
@@iii___iii Yah I'm not an idiot. But if you just landed here a short while ago your almost definitely an immigrant without citizenship. None of these people could barely speak English let alone sustain themselves properly.
I fail to understand how his basement unit was completely safe if a wall collapsed and two people died. Sounds pretty close to the definition of unsafe to me, right?
To be fair though this is like saying how could a building be 'safe' if it collapsed during an earthquake. His apartment could have been safe if it met all the egress and safety requirements, but no matter how 'safe' a place could be every place when met with mother nature can suffer destruction.
It doesn't matter if the basement is legal or not, when a gush of water push in, it does not matter, blame the city for not clean their sewer and allowed water turn into flood. Like some people say, you don't play with water and fire.
@@ryanstrom5162 Exactly.
@@ryanstrom5162 It seems like it was "safe" in his estimate, but the truth is the apartment was actually illegal and therefore he had no right to rent it. He sounds very altruistic but lets be real, he was making good money and not declaring the income to the IRS.
@@ryanstrom5162 a basement apt can never be safe
I've been desensitized by New York apartment prices myself, but to think that $1300-$1550 is considered "affordable" for such a dangerous, rotting apartment in New York is just beyond absurd. A death trap is basically worthless.
It's like that in CO now
It’s happening in Seattle so much subsidized housing yet no one can move in cause it’s $1.5-$2K plus for just a studio.
I live in a city with less than 100k habitants and the average 2 bedrooms currently go for 2k a month. Pre-Pandemic, it was 1.5k a month. It went up by 500 a month in less than 2 years due to the influx of pandemic movers/working from home people who decided to all move here at the same time. Smaller cities in desirable locations got torn apart by the pandemic movers and now our local kids have to move out because they can no longer afford to live in their hometown.
@FN-1701AgentGodzillaRangerPrime Ω It's always been that way. Rent prices have always been over the top and very little affordable housing.
i travel the world but have a US passport. i rent 400 to 500usd a month EVERYTHING included. studio or 1 bd apartment in a nice to semi nice area. i spent about 1000usd a month on all my living needs. very cheap
I live in NYC. Our nonprofit tried fundraising for the families in Queens and not one person donated a penny. I cannot express my gratitude for this video. Finally someone is bringing awareness to the problem. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. Fema was denied because it wasn’t declared a natural disaster.
Really? Was it just lack of publicity? What's the name of the nonprofit? Ppl usually donate the most after a big public disaster so this is surprising
How could that not be a natural disaster?? Did they give a reason they decided that? Looks pretty disastrous to me!
@@marzipan2555 yes definitely bc I’m from queens and never heard of anybody fundraising and I follow a lot of mutual aid groups etc. I donated to where I heard of but yea re: OP def lack of publicity or maybe just overpowered by a large need🤷🏻♀️
That's a travesty. We have people dying and living in unsafe conditions because of the outrageous rent all across the 5 boroughs, and because it's the poor and/or immigrants who are suffering, everyone turns a blind eye.
Im so sorry, I would donate as much as i could, But in all the way in England Manchester =(
This guy, "us homeowners just helping the poor by renting out our basements"
(paraphrased). No, dude, y'all are renting out your basements, knowing it's illegal, to make a buck. I'm with him on the issues of climate change, needing more help for low income people and how race determines which problems get fixed- but his " savior of the poor" bit pissed me off. He saw an opportunity to make money by illegally renting his basement, that's it.
What’s the problem? People need affordable housing and the government isn’t going to give it to them. The local politicians aren’t going to rewrite building codes and zoning laws to increase housing stock. People need housing now, and there are people with the space.
Like seriously, how would you give that couple an affordable place to live and work in the New York area that isn’t just living with a bunch of other people? So bizarre vilifying someone who can rent them out a space. And it’s not like the couple doesn’t know what they’re getting into, they know the market rates for apartments.
For many of the families and individuals in this video it is either living in basements or becoming homeless. Imagine how many people would be worse off if they were on the streets when these floods happened.
ok, remove all illegal basement rentals and you will see all current legal rental's monthly rent increase by 10-20%
@@nyyommm9640 the problem is that some of these basement apartments aren't up to code. People probably drowned because they didn't have an adequate secondary exit. My dad lives in a sketchy illegal apartment. Yeah it's cheap but the electrical is disaster in terms of the fire code, it's rarely heated adequately and the roof leaks. While some people rent decent places, there are a lot of scumbags who will rent a space that should be condemned if left unregulated. But people will accept it because it's what they can afford and it's better than living on the streets.
The death traps are the cheapest apartments & yet still $1200 & up
$1200 is cheap for an apartment in NY. But you can't afford one on NY minimum wage, even if you work full-time.
@@roove1537 agreed
@@roove1537 true
Same in Florida, it’s mold and u get sick pay 4 a place that’s 1,400 a month and then end up with Pneumonia and hospital bills and I’ve been $30,000 because you collapse in an airport whenever I was traveling to New York but I have been living with the pneumonia for months because my apartment was filled with mold ! The. Owner still has not fixed it there’s a tarp on the roof this was from a hurricane that happened in 2018 it’s 2021 and he didn’t even wanna give me a discount on rent or give me a safe place to live. I could have sued however I just wanted out of the death trap.
Richer areas like Manhattan were fine when hurricane Ida hit NY. It was heavy rain and no flooding whatsoever and it was because their drainage system functioned properly. Its an example of environmental classism/racism.
Reminds of the message in the film Parasite
The poor will always suffer
Yep, the rich live on the high ground for a pretty penny while the poor lounge in ditches. Government is happy since they are maximizing revenue and will pretend to care when a tragedy strikes the poor by pressing F to pay respects.
Exactly.
Environmental classism. Yes. It only annoys me when people try to use African American and environmental racism as synonyms.
A family died in those basement. And the homeowner still try to convince the interviewer it is safe?
Yeah. He is should be demonized.
(along the government officials that makes this tragedy happens, of course.)
@Simon U the fact that there is a family died in there shows that those basement is not that safe.
But the dismissive attitude of the homeowner is what really baffled me more than those so called safety...
@Simon U And yet, ONLY the family that lived in the ILLEGAL basement dies and not the family that lived in the legal house. This is why it was illegal. Use your brain.
That homeowner is a POS. He can't blame the city because he broke the law! The apartment was illegal. Yes, of course there should be more affordable housing but homeowners are taking advantage of people who cannot afford a better apartment.
@@gmunden1 'Taking advantage' Wait a minute there. I let my younger sister live in my basement for years, rent free. It sucks having someone living in your basement. I was thrilled when she FINALLY moved out and never rented it out because you lose a lot of privacy when someone is living in your basement. After she moved out we had people asking how much to rent out our basement. We're not that nice and don't want strangers in our basement. How do we know what stupid shit they're doing down there? They could inadvertently burn our house down.
If all of these basement apartments are emptied, where are these people going to live? There are hundreds of units. There's a lack of affordable housing in NYC to start with. People who rent their basements out to strangers are much nicer and more trusting than me. I just accept that some people are going to be homeless because I don't want to deal with their shit.
It's sad people died, blame the city for not clean their sewer. And I agree with the owner it is safe, you can't fight mother nature.
when a drug dealer gives someone drugs, and that person dies....the dealer gets charged for murder. I dont see a difference. they did something illegal, 2 people died.... they're responsible.....PERIOD!!!!
Two of the basement apartments where people died here in NY were legal basement apartments. There are tens of thousands of them here in NY. Those people were killed because the municipality failed to fix the problem of flooding in these areas. We also had a drowning of someone on the highway when their car became covered in flood water.
It was a natural disaster. How about they stop overcharging ppl for rent so ppl won't be force into situations like this
@@FaithandNova Agree 100%. Rent is ridiculously high here in NYC.
@@faithandgrace8244 not only in NY also Philadelphia, NJ ect, not only rents but everything else have gone higher too in prices all over the USA and the government don’t give a shitttt!!
@@Lc-sh7uk prices go up it's called life you name me one thing that cost less now than a hundred years ago .. please by all means I would love to know .. the real problem is people living in these urban areas where infrastructure costs ten times what it would in most areas of america .. inflation is a guarantee prices rise and continue to do so . What people need to do is look at there situation and decide if paying thousands to rent a persons property and live in a city is worth it or if they would rather spend a fraction of that and buy a home elsewhere
Lmao. Son of landowner is downright delusional. Trying to seem like a good guy when 2 tenants literally drowned. That said, I think New York just isn't feasible to live in if you have a tight budget. Better to move to a small town with cheaper and legal housing. That should also reduce the amount of illegal basement apartments in NY.
I was thinking the same thing saying the basement is safe and two people died SMH. moving to small town won't help these places don't have jobs that pay enough money. Jobs in the City pay better.
I think it was good to hear him speak and understand his point of view. Those were tenants in the house for 15 yrs, that is a long time. Basement apartments are for temporary stays, to save and move on. RIP to the woman and son who passed
@@badbwoyjojo3724 There are plenty of smaller metro regions with decent wages and access to safe, quality apartments at a price comparable to wages. Paying $1500 for a death trap is ridiculous.
@@Indigolily80 I came from a smaller city and surviving there was hard the jobs for regular people couldn't even pay for a one bedroom apartment I was making 13 Dollars a hour, I moved to New York in 2016 and within 4 months, I was able to find a job that pay me double that in the same Industry I was working in (Healthcare). The jobs that employers have need to be better. People out here talking it's problems like this why the country is so divided.
@@promotelove that would be the new Yorker's problem. They will have to figure out to cook themselves or realise if they need hospitality workers, to actually raise wages so that its affordable to live in safe housing. Or use drones or some shit. It's not the victim's fault that their rich overlords make it impossible to survive there
The homeowner whose tenants died took no responsibility for that fact that he rented to them illegally!! The basement was not safe because two ppl died down there.... It's just sad that this is the only option for some ppl
It’s not safe because two people died or because perhaps of the structure of the house and its ability to withstand flood? Also, whilst I do sympathize with persons and those that lost their lives part of the responsibility rests with them knowing those basement apartments are illegal. I would NEVER live in one. It seems so unnatural, how do they breath? Some of these homeowners also are disgusting.
@@pinkladybathbody1127 hold on, your logic is temporally flawed. The renters who were killed had no idea a basement apartment was illegal at the time they rented the apartment. You’re confusing the stories. Legally (and I’m a lawyer turned judge), the lessor-owner had no legal authority to rent the basement as a dwelling in the first place rendering the tenant’s knowledge moot. The lessors are fully aware they’re illegally renting out prohibited space and primarily doing so with recent immigrant tenants who don’t know any better. That is the ultimate in slum lord behavior. It also constitutes major liability and rightly so. But that was a nice try shifting blame to the tenants.
@@fashiondiva6972 the video clip did say that most of these immigrants are aware it’s illegal. Also, the owners know it’s illegal as well as the clip did state that some of these renters did state that the owner of the property stated it’s indeed illegal. What I am saying is at what point something is put in place to ensure that the owners are not able to continue doing what they are doing. Two lives were lost and there is absolutely no outrage over it as long as owners are collecting their rent. The entire thing is just unfortunate. In the clip, two persons died and the owner is nonchalant..
@@pinkladybathbody1127 Everyone knows it's illegal. The landlord, the tenants and the city. The city knows that illegal immigrants live here. They do nothing for political reasons. These renters don't have leases and aren't US citizens so they don't qualify for govt assistance. This is a sanctuary city.
@@fashiondiva6972 Everyone knows it's illegal including the city. Nothing is done for political reasons. This is a sanctuary city. These people need housing.
My mom , me and two other immigrants used to live in one of these basement apartments in the 90's, it was cheap and cramped but thank God we made it through and eventually bought homes. I pray for all the people who live in these.
New York has the laziest property owners around. Their whole policy is that property keeps going up even though nothing is spent to improve the location such as modernizing the building structurally. Nothing really gets torn down especially in the city since some buildings are cosmetically worked on because they’re historical buildings.
People just drowned to death in the basement. Dude’s like, “Our basemen is definitely very safe.”
It could have been mother nature, the force of all the water..
Exactly. So infuriating to watch. He only agreed to this interview to save face.
@@pjk7685 Safety is protection from mother nature. So what youre saying is it lacks safety.
I feel so bad for that older couple. However, it is so important for people to know their rights. It doesn't surprise me how the homeowners/landlords treat their tenants. This landlord and his excuses are pathetic but not surprising. We have the same kind of thinking here in Canada.
We don't have rights in the US
Part of the problem is that it's a lose-lose for the tenant. If you find yourself in a place that unsafe you have every right to report it. But if it's investigated and found to be illegal or substandard, you'll get evicted.
@@rchltrrs The only reason people have illegal suites is because they want easy money. It is pure greed.
A landlord saying he’s helping out the housing crisis, the jokes write themselves
Its true, other wise they end up on the street. Blame the city.
Yeah, helping them out by charging over 1200 for rent for what is worse than a crack house 🙄 then wanna say in not so many words "if they don't like living like swine, they are free to leave".. GTFO this piece of s**t
Hes actually not wrong. He's giving them an option.
@@Peaches4779 You've never been to NYC before have you? There are people paying a few hundreds more in places that look more run down than this. I currently live here and it is literally one of the top most expensive places to live in the USA. You get scraps for the same price that would get you an entire house for rent in some states. Minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour here due to how expensive it is to live.
@@cookie22100 and thats still not enough to not live in a shoebox
I'm a New Yorker and an immigrant. I once live in a room that used to be a walk-in closet. That winter was on of the coldest I've ever experienced, temperature was in the double negatives, and there was no heat.
New York rent is insanely expensive while wages are low.
Lucky you. At least you had privacy.
Many who never lived in NYC will understand. Comment section full of ppl who haven't experienced NYC life.
@@FaithandNova That would be because the rest of us choose to live ANYWHERE other than New York!!! Smh
@@joltjolt5060 come to Oregon. Privacy for pennies.
Why out of all USA would you choose nyc to live in as an immigrant?
My wife and I lived in one of these under ground no window flats in Los Angeles a few years back. It was in a commercial building and the landlord had turned three of the suits in the back to make-shift apartments. No actual windows to open space. And yes, we are immigrants.
Remember no one point a gun to anyone's head to rent these basement apartment. You do have a choice, that's what I learn in life.
@@cindyl.3699 when you have an okay living situation vs none you would settle for one.
@@Caroline02222 i agree
@@iii___iii do i need you to care about me, toots.
@@iii___iii not for you, but don't speak for others.
Sadly, this happens in many countries in the west. I am in Canada, I lived in a basement that had a humidity problem, mold and was built horribly. It also had a minor flood too. I am so lucky I got out and live in new affordable housing. People don't understand what the mental toll of living in shitholes is like. It literally destroys how you function and live as a human being.
I had a basement that could have easily been a Deathtrap. The door to exit the basement frequently got stuck because the structure kept shifting. There were a handful of times I had to call someone to break me out!
@@TheVermilliaFamily Jesus christ, Glad you are okay now.
Toronto area .. I helped to pay off quite a few mortgages! lol .. basements were the cheap way to live if you didn't want a room-mate .. glad I gave it all up to move back up north and bought a small home of my own. The basement apts. are miserable, depressing and often .. very unsafe.
There are hundreds of thousands of people are living in the basement in NYC. If the city criminalize these landlords, those those basement residents would become homeless. That’s the sad reality. So the government needs to invest heavily on infrastructure and affordable housing.
Plus change the zoning laws allowing for medium density buildings in the suburbs.
You're 100% right.
Those apartments are illegal. So the landlord and government are to blame.
If these landlords didn't offer them some of these ppl would be homeless. It's literally all they can afford
@@FaithandNova greed landlords are the reason prices have skyrocketed, and why people died in this flood.
@@alienvomitsex idiot tenants are also a problem. Idiots like you who think landlords are the one to blame bwahawhahahwa.
do you blame your parents for your stupidity?
A friend of mine lost his sister and nephew in the floods. May they rest in peace. Something needs to be done about this because owners are charging huge rent and it's a hazard to live in such environment. Wish it whatever it is is done soon as to spare lives.
My sister went to school with him.
How can a basement apartment where 2 persons die be safe is that landlord living in delusion. Flood or no flood one day that wall would of collapse. Help big someone means you do not endanger their lives.He should be arrested for that. My sympathy goes out to that Trinidadian family.
This was very reminiscent of the film PARASITE
Is it because they are Asian? You troll?
@@keaujibaha2594 The title has parasite in it and it reminded me of that film because the basement apartment flooded. I think this video was made and titled for that reason. And yes the people are Asian which is another similarity to the movie
@@elluchadork That was actually the theme of Parasite. The basement is a metaphor for the two different lives and classes. Parasite actually warned basement dwellers because there was a scene of the basement getting flooded when the storm came.
@@keaujibaha2594 no cause the korean sin the video litearlly said this is like parasite.
I feel so blessed only paying $550 for a 2 bedroom duplex with a yard. I pray there’s more affordable housing programs in NY. It’s wrong to have people live like that.
Oh wow, that's beautiful.. ..yes girl lavish in that :)
So sad..😔 This reminds me of those cage apartments in places like Hong Kong.. People come here looking for a better life,but they quickly realize the american dream was never meant for them.. Whether in an illegal apartment or not,these people should've been offered subsidized housing or at least FEMA trailer..The mayor and governor should have to use their salaries to increase the drainage systems because clearly this is negligence and classism..🤬
Because america is becoming the country they left.
They aren't citizens.There isn't any subsidized housing for noncitizens. No room for trailers. Ever been to NYC?
Geez these folks are something else. The Magician went through several floods, starts a Go Fund Me to get out of that situation, and still considers moving into another basement to save money.
The landlord, what a douche. No remorse to those he was "helping" by renting out and illegal "safe" basement and blames mother nature.
Its sad, but it is mother nature.
@@cindyl.3699 He's alive and they're dead. All living in the same roof. That's humanity. Mother nature would've taken him too.
@@ryerye9019 Things happen which is sad, we all human live in the same earth, why some people dead and not others, there is people live in the same house why got shot to dead , or get sick to dead and not the other person whom live with them.
Suppose there is windstorm or twisters happen and the person live on the first floor or second floor get hit and killed and the person live in the basement is safe and sound then who are we blaming. It hard to say.
well when you consider the rents in NYC, I can understand why he would look at another basement apartment. It's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination
That’s crazy they pay $1300 for this apartment. I pay $1320 for a 600 sq feet studio in a high rise building very close to downtown Chicago.
2 years ago I was paying $625 for a 1bdr granted it was on the Westside but I was 5 miles away from downtown Chicago and two blocks away from the green line. Glad I didn't move to NYC.
Regular studio apts in NYC are going for 1,500and up. Manhattan it's even way more that's why many resort to basement apts.
Your apt is too expensive also. You could rent a house somewhere.
$1300 gets you a 5 bedroom house in the south but people wanna rat it out in the cities.
People do this in Toronto as well, they try to cram as many people as possible for profit. It's sad to see people are doing this and that other have no choice to live in places like these.
They do have a choice you can move 😂😂 toronto ain't the only city of canada buddy
@@farhia711 oh no I live in the states. I'm just saying they do that. I heard of some places doing that when I was in college up there.
Everyone have a choice but they want cheap, and don't blame the owner, basement is safe to live in as I used to live in basement before. This disaster is mother nature and the city is the fault by not clearing the sewer create water flood and push in to the resident basement.
It’s either that or a tent on the sidewalk.
@@farhia711 i was born and rasied in downtown Toronto. I am disabled and cannot move. Not everyone can up and move. Before gentrification Toronto was home to the poor and immigrants, where do you expect these people to go? You people go back to the suburbs so we can afford our homes
As long there is a demand for basement apartments, there is always someone willing to rent his/her apartment out.
I’m from NYC, I lived the illegal basement life with my moms back in 2012-13. Omg it was a real struggle. I was grateful my mom was able to pay to keep a roof over my head. But we were shortly forced out, landlord got in trouble. Us & another family In the same basement In the next room had to go. This video brought back such sad memories. I remember the floods, the rats, raccoons etc. & hurricane sandy hit. This ain’t an easy living condition by no means. We didn’t invite company over & there was one small window we could barley keep open. God is good, cause what felt like the impossible when we were forced out & moved into the shelter. Them days are behind me.
I lived in a basement apartment in queens my childhood. This is the case for a lot of people in this borough and Brooklyn. Thanks for covering.
I have a rented room in Queens.
I'd love my own apartment, but I wouldn't be able to afford it. And I work full-time.
you are so pretty!
What is that dude on! He claims the basement was safe to live in when two people literally died in it! That’s not safe! Wtf
If anything, I think funding should go towards getting these people out of NYC (those who do not have businesses). $1,550 a month in rent is literally a mortgage for a decent home or literally a luxury apartment.
People in NYC don't have cars or drivers licenses. Also NYC is a sanctuary city that caters to illegal immigrants who work for cash and don't speak English. How are they going to pay all the extra bills for a house and pay for a car?
Is their a go fund me for the Korean couple? I feel really bad for them.
GREED is a helluva drug.
It's simple
If the landlord is found to rent out basement for living purposes the whole house is taken away from him and he goes to jail because he is making profit from illegal operation
there is already law for that
Or create affordable housing so people aren't desperate enough to rent illegal basement death traps.
@@joyg2526 Do both. As long as you don't punish tenants for living unsafely.
@@camelopardalis84 如果换成他们是房东，不知道会不会也这样做
@@owj182 See, this translates to
"If they are the landlord, I don’t know if they will do the same."
And I don't know what that could mean. Maybe you want to rephrase that? The next translation could be better.
Yes homeowners should receive punishment… also the city needs affordable housing because not everyone is a millionaire living in big cities. A lot of the homeowners renting out places like that are probably a) not aware and b) not making serious profits because the cost of the home/taxes itself. A lot of rental owners have one room, or one family home… it’s not large corporations renting basements. But to keep renters out of basements their NEEDS to be affordable housing.
Unless you lived in NYC, you don't understand why people live in basements. I lived in NYC for over 30 years. NYC doesn't provide enough affordable housing for people so what else can people do but to go find places like these. Most homeowners are aware that these might not be "legal" but the people who are renting them also know that as well. It's a mutual understanding. I'm glad I moved out of NYC recently and moved to a place that basements are completely alien to most people. Feel terrible for the people who lost their lives while sleeping middle of the night...
Basement shouldn't be rented as apartments. The landlords rent them to pay their mortgage and for extra money.. But they are illegal and unsafe.
do Eugene and his wife have a way we can donate to get them out of the living situation they're in? NY city officials seriously suck
I broke down in tears over the cat
Nabi RIP angel!
That's why I left. I miss home but its unlivable if you're not wealthy.
Oh I felt sooo sad about that dear cat all alone.
Basement collects heavy non odorous gas that displaces oxygen. That's the real danger. What they really need is a fan blowing fresh air in and a vent to let bad air out. Blocking that only window is a deadly idea.
Its also the mold.. mold is really dangerous
Get those homeowners period! They would come after apartment/ building owners if it had been them. Dude just don’t want to take the responsibility of those two people dying in their basement! Why didn’t he say he invited them up stairs with his family?…… because he didn’t!
It was a tragic freak accident of nature. You're not making life better for people by reducing the number of available apartments and making it more difficult for these people to pay their mortgage. There are old ladies who rent out their basements to supplement there income. You may mean well but you would only cause more harm then good. Nothing is perfectly safe. How often does someone in NYC drown in a basement?
A lot of people choose to live in basement because it’s cheaper even though knowing what’s coming, ..Not everyone can afford a regular apartment…
@@WhyINeedThis12345 if you can't afford better, you don't have a choice
So sad what people have to go through.
yeah very sad
Can we also just notice how much nicer and smoothly their interviews go having a reporter who speak their languages?
It's not really about whether the basements are legal or illegal. I've seen legally converted basements got flooded and non converted basement completely dry during this flood. I was there during the flood and saw the damages on the streets of queens with my own eyes. It was by far THE BIGGEST flood in queens I've ever seen. Streets were badly flooded because the system was overwhelmed. The homeowner probably had his legal basement up to code... but here's the thing about these building codes... You never really know if it'll hold up until it gets tested... and this Flood really tested the city. Prices and Rent are raising while Wages stays the same for the working class, this is the problem.
It is about them being illegal. To be legal there needs to be TWO exits. They only had ONE. Because if there was two exits or windows big enough to be used as exit… it’s a death trap.
You can have a finished basement in your home. But to rent it out as an apartment is illegal because there has to be emergency exits for safety in case of fire or flooding. Having people live in the basement, especially in one that was flooded in other storms, that landlord new there was a hazard and continued to take that rent money. A death trap is a death trap no matter how you slice it.
Why not moving to another state? I was living very bad in NYC (2001-2005) and now in Las Vegas NV I have my own House 🏡 and some savings
Some other places aren’t as immigrant friendly. May not have services or a network set up for them
@@xftbllplyr2091 That's a good point. I'm Puerto Rican and you hardly see them here but I am a citizen of the world and life taught me that we are equal. Yes, I've been discriminated before but you learn to forgive (for your own self-happiness) and just keep trying
@@xftbllplyr2091 I live in a white small town and get services really fast. Nobody thinks of me as SE Asian/Pacific Islander. If you keep identifying yourself as being someone other than a human being like everyone else, then you are the one setting yourself up for what is perceived as racism. I live in a 3 bedroom townhouse with a partially finished basement and a sunroom. I pay less than what my son pays to live in NYC (and he is paying for just a room, not an apartment. It is in a very nice building, though, with good amenities)
When I first immigrated to the US in 1991, I was in Los Angeles alone and living in motel rooms because I had no credit. It took six months before I could get a studio apartment (expensive to live in motel rooms). Even then, I could not rent furniture because I had no credit. I slept on the carpeted floor and used an aerobic step as my pillow. I eventually bought a futon mattress, had very little furnishings (it looked like a Japanese home) but managed. Police were quick when I needed them. Now I live in a white small town and the minute I call 911, they are quick to respond. No network? You be the one to reach out. If you think of yourself as an immigrant, then you will be that forever. I never thought of myself as such. I thought of myself as a human being and when I got my U.S. citizenship in 2000, I was just like any other American.
@@Jiren0420 I applaud you for that!!! That was my same approach; however, if there was discrimination or prejudice, my view was that they just didn't like me. Next thing, those who were relatively hostile changed and we started talkiing, joking and laughing together. Maybe they just needed some time to get used to me.
@@mariatolentino4516 Wow you have a wonderful story. Glad you are better now🙌
Having a basement apartment is a deathtrap. Any heavy ran will flood them out. This is why Southern states that get frequent hurricanes or are below sea level don't have basements. Flash flooding is deadly.
This. Everything can be up to code, you can have all the inspectors and engineers look at the building, but no matter what you do you can't stop flooding of that degree, it's just not possible. Louisiana, for instance, is not a place which is unprepared for tropical storms, yet hurricane Katrina still caused trillions of dollars worth of property damage. I'm sure the landlord in the video had everything up to code, the basement was properly constructed, but you can't stop an act of god.
Shame on those owners
Small reminder that in Seoul (South Korea) basement apartments are in most houses and rented out to those who can’t afford anything. Friends of mine lived in one and during the typhoon season where it literally rains a whole month you can’t get the humidity out no matter how hard you try because it’s constantly wet out and the air can’t circulate enough through small windows. They live in mole during that month and can’t do anything about it, there are many people like that. Affordable housing is not just about comfort, it’s a health issue as well. In Seoul and everywhere.
When I see all these luxury apartments being built. I think damn, is it really that many people that make that kind of money? $3000 a month for a 2 bedroom.
I've had the same exact thought! Like damn that many people can afford that?
This is like a situation in Hong Kong.. but in Hong Kong its like they are packed like Sardines in a very small high rise apartment units..
It’s disgusting that people in NYC can’t afford a roof over their heads and there’s zero Section 8 availability. It’s far from a new immigrant issue, I’m 54, I’m disabled and can’t afford my rent without my 2 adult kids helping pay. I’d be homeless without them for sure. I’m a life long Queens resident, I worked, I got sick, now there’s no hope and no future I can see here. We are moving to Tennessee. Oh, and screw Bill DeBlasio.
True. My son also had a tough time just looking for a room to rent with roommates when he moved to NYC in September. He stayed at an AirBnb in Manhattan for about two months, now he is moving to a nice apartment after being approved by prospective roommates. I thought he was insane to want to move to NYC, but since he is still young at 26, he has to try (I don't want him to grow old and ask himself "What if I tried NYC?"). He will always have a home here (here, he had his own house and he was doing very well).
YOU BETTER VOTE RED! DON'T BE FLIPPING TN!!
I would love to see the son of the landlord to live in that basement which his tenant and her son drowned . It's unsafe to live in a basement, in the past there were cases of people who drowned inside their cars which was parked in the BASEMENT.
The prices in NYC is absolutely outrageous!!! It should be against the law!!!!
"the blaming game is over"
a few seconds ago he said his basement is secure and safe, then straight up blame the flood that caused the wall to collapse.
ok...
Right?! Can tell that Amit guy is a liar about the safety of his basement rental. He probably half-assed slapped things together in the basement and rented it out asap to make money, slumlord!
Wondering why none of these basement landlords that took their renters monies...illegally...could not set up a storage unit or include one monthly as part of the rent collected...and when storms are predicted, give them money for a week or two stay at a hotel...maybe even let them camp on their balconies or porches for a bit.
I live in a basement apartment in NYC, and i was affected by this storm, and it was my third flood. I went to the hurricane service center and i didn't qualify for anything. I emailed three govt offices seeking for help but received none. Not only am i terrified and have to evacuate every time it rains, but I'm overwhelmed. Does the gov't care no. As hard as i try, i cannot afford what they want for rent, I'm already struggling. Nor do I get or qualify for any housing assistance, it's all BS. My fear is that my cats and I will die in the basement.
Hi Lee! Hope you are doing well! I am a Dutch reporter for RTL Nieuws (based in NYC) and we are doing a story about severe weather and flood risks (and what that is like to live with this fear that something could happen. Would I be able to ask you a few questions about your living situation in a basement in Queens?
You can reach me at 347-231-2892.
All the best, Simone
Thank you for the awesome reporting 😁
Come to Florida! You can live in a very cheap weekly pay motel for a little while until you save money for a home. We have affordable housing AND a huge labor shortage meaning plenty of jobs! We’re also very diverse…people from all walks of life live here. It’s a little crazy lol but if you work hard you can build a good life here. I don’t understand why anyone puts up with the BS in NYC anymore. You don’t need to.
Picking up your life and moving is very hard and financially taxing. Lots of people can't afford to move
I can't believe his son was 3 for 6 years
They had him midway thru their stay darl...guess you don't know what birth means?
@@lizxu322 thanks human adult for teaching me how time and life works
This is so sad too hear this story we had heard this on our local news in our country the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹🇹🇹
Everyone is at fault here, the politicians, landlords and the tenants! They all knew they were illegal to begin with. The politicians looked the other way for the increased tax base, the landlords got to profit and the tenants liked the low rents. So don't pretend it's something that it's not! You put your selves in that situation.
@Mocha 2606 If you're poor maybe you shouldn't be living in the most expensive city in the world. Also and I don't know if you know this or not,...... but the US government has no money. It's all generated through taxes. And no it's not the governments job to help the poor. The only responsibility of our government is to protect it's people and it's borders. And this administration can't even do that! So what makes you think they have a responsibility to help the poor? Where did you hear this? Because it's not based in any reality.
@@noble_norse7786 i dont think you understand that new york is where many immigrants move to because of the opprotunities, many of which are illegal, they need a job and many other states will not have opening for these unlucky people
@@tasniashafin7855 lmfao, you're talking to a New Yorker my guy! So please don't comment on things you obviously know nothing about! And if they're illegal maybe they should just go home. Just a thought! So all you have admitted is you support criminals. Edit: also the jobs are for American Citizens! Not illegals! Why are you defending lawlessness? Why are illegals exempt from following the laws we have to abide by?
@@noble_norse7786 Lifelong New Yorker here, if your only reaction is to blame the tenants for trying to make a better life against all odds the only person here who's got issues is you. And the fact that you think NY is the most expensive city or that the poor don't "deserve" to live here shows your utter cluslessness. You railing against any social safety net show your utter heartlessnes.
@@Lillithowl lmfao, you must have reading comprehension issues, because I said they're all to blame.... so there is that! And if they're illegal why are they here? If they are here illegally they have no reason to complain about the situation that they put themselves in. It's called logic my guy! Sorry I don't pity criminals who are breaking the law after already breaking the law! So deal with it cupcake or don't, I'm entitled to my opinion.
Can’t claim your illegal apartment was safe when you ever got it inspected to make sure it was even up to code mainly because it’s illegal.
$1300 for a basement. What a ripoff. Screw that.
Can’t believe this is America 🇺🇸 I’m a 4th generation on my mothers side and an Indigenous and French on my fathers side I grew up in the 50’s and this reminds of how tenants were treated in my youth even 4 th American 🇺🇸 generation. Oh and used to live in Astoria Queens but grew up in Boston
Wow, I bet you've seen alot. God bless.
Hardworking people. They deserve better
AJ+, please tell to the korean elderly couple if they want to come to Chicago they are welcome in my home.
Too bad most people who come here aren't warned stay away from new york and California they are way too expensive to live there.
«All mother nature» If you call hardcore capitalism ''Mother Nature'', you're right.
How is this capitalism exactly? All parties involved knew from the beginning none of this was legal for a reason. People need to learn to take accountability for their own life choices. Smfh.
@@noble_norse7786 Crony capitalism prevents upward mobility.
@@alienvomitsex lmfao, you're so full of teenage angst. But hey keep telling yourself that my guy! You might even believe it one day! 😂😂😂👌
Strict legal action should be taken against this guy. Two people died, he is so evil. He doesn't give a damn about those people, yet pretending to be a saint.
Used to live in a basement apartment (thank god we got out in time) but our rooms would flood bc of our upstairs neighbors. This would happen every couple of months
This is so sad and tragic. My last apartment in NYC was a basement apartment. I’m glad I left when i did.
That's why many people around the world can relate to "Parasite", not just Koreans. That is also why many poor people keep having children in the hope that one of their children luckily has the sudden good gene and becomes rich to save the whole family.
That's a really shitty reason to bring kids into the world.
I'm not saying it's inaccurate. I actually agree with you since I can see so much of it in my home country but it's still a really shitty reason 😓
Good genes? Yikes.. it's all luck, more kids just ups the chances of someone getting lucky or spreads the costs of caring for elders among more people.. Good genes have little to nothing to do with succes, opportunities and luck are the main elements in this.. I think you may have meant marketable skills or skills in high demand
Thanks for doing this news to bring more awareness of how lack of affordable housing for low income Asian American New Yorkers are hurting our community.
The city said they are not allowed to live in the basement, they went and rented out the space as an apartment, property got destroyed and some people died because of the basement flooding. And now they are victims?
So heartbreaking 💔
This interview is all the evidence needed to put somebody behind bars.
Omg, who?? The landlords when the law isn't reinforced or people renting iligal places?
@@mariee.5912 somebody....
i remember growing up in people’s basements in NY with my Panamanian mother. every single one had problems or flooded (sewage). good times.
I think it's an interesting choice to describe them as "Parasite" apartments, referring to the apartment in the Korean movie Parasite. I know the tenant themself made that connection, but it's a choice of the media to make that their title for this video. These apartments are New York City apartments. This is happening in the United States. This is a failing of US capitalism.
The movie is on Netflix where a lot of Americans watched, but I'm sure it was done purposely because they're Asian.
i hv been to one like this in nyc, unlivable . i almost lost my fren.
If being forced to pay $1300 a month to live in a dark, moldy deathtrap isn't enough reason to stay out of NY, I don't know what is. $1300 in another state would allow you to rent a house, or a nice apartment at the very least, but "muh city life."
I find it strange how NYC is this expensive yet the infrastructure crumbles this easily, where is all that money going?
Ive lived underground in queens my whole life. In the bedroom i grew up in right now.
The people love to say that they are leaving in NYC even under this kind of circumstances so sad…
One of the biggest headliner that was on the news in NYC after Hurricane Ida was the death of a Nepanese family in their basement apartment (Husband + wife, and their baby). As a NYC resident, I can agree with all the points discussed in the video. The lower/working class can barely escape their situation.
He kept saying his basement is safe with multiple exits yet two died, sound he was defending. 👎👎
This is getting very close to
situations described in The Jungle from 1905 about unsafe living and working conditions for the poor and immigrants in NYC at the turn of the century…..
I live in NJ & we have the same problem here with basement apartments, in my town many were swept away by the floods that weeks after Ida they were still finding bodies in the nearby rivers. Landlords aren't being prosecuted over these illegal apartments the system is siding with the landlords not the tenants & their safety smh
Imagine rent being 1300 in a city that can’t even manage it’s drainage?
I am Chinese American . my family members are chinese and Canadian Immigrants . When we couldnt afford rent all we could afford was live in the basement of our own business . There were many roaches and flies came from neighboring restaurants and drain flies as well . It was horrible . We lived there for two years That was the only place we could afford ( we couldnt get out of our lease for the business so having to pay rent for the business and we didnt have anything left.
I live in basement apartment in marine park...yup it unnerved me. It snowed 20 inches and it filled the whole stair well....
If they’re not supposed to be rented then why are they renting it out?
Because the homeowners are struggling too. They are only slightly less poor than the people they are renting to. NYC is unaffordable for everyone including most homeowners. Unless you are wealthy, if you own a home in NYC you are renting out a unit or rooms just to make the mortgage and property tax payments.
@@CamelToeAndTheBeast that makes sense.
I am married. Between my spouse and myself, we make over $120k annually. We currently rent a basement apartment at $800/month in Brooklyn which is considered a steal in a NYC! We have no windows and I can’t tell if it’s night or day and sometimes I feel claustrophobic. It’s unfortunate but we refuse to pay the ridiculous prices for rent in NYC even though we can afford to pay more. Our apartment flooded during the storm but fortunately it did not cause much damage but it did not deter me from staying put. We are saving for a home (outside the city) which is why we still rent a basement apartment because we just don’t want to shell out more money for ridiculous priced apartments. I feel for those who have no option. Every now and then I think about the luxury apartment across the street from us that’s $3k for a studio and have to remind myself it’s not worth it. Affordable housing is non existent and even when affordable is still a joke. I wish these family well!
my aunt has a basement apartment near coney island. always has. She has water bugs and shit flowed up into the space during the last hurricane.
Same thing in toronto! Landlords be renting out their illegal basement apartments and many international students and immigrants. It’s awful. The lack of affordable housing is crazy here
Wow i didn't know