Three weeks after the remnants of Hurricane Ida unleashed torrential rains that wrecked portions of their homes, a group of Queens homeowners are accusing the city of failing to address decades-long complaints about flooding issues that have rendered their properties worthless.
On Tuesday, roughly 20 homeowners who live on three blocks in a low-lying section of Hollis assembled a protest in front of Queens Borough Hall. They argued that climate change, coupled with the marshy environment of southeast Queens, had created a massive infrastructure challenge that demands higher expertise in the form of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Even then, they conceded, their problems with flooding dates back decades and may ultimately not be solvable through even the best engineering fixes. In 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio committed nearly $2 billion in sewer improvements to alleviate flooding in southeast Queens. But many homeowners were skeptical of how long it would be before they felt the impact of those ongoing projects. One by one, they took turns telling horror stories of water damage they had suffered over the years. When it rains, neighbors collectively rush outside to clear the gutters. Most own their own sump pumps.
"If they can't fix it, buy out the homeowners. I don't think anybody would have a problem with that," said Amit Shivprasad, whose family owns a home on 183rd Street near 90th Avenue where two tenants, a woman and her son, drowned in the basement.
A buyout would not be unprecedented. In 2013, following Hurricane Sandy, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a program to buy out flood-prone homes, mostly in Staten Island. The state has gone on to spend $655 million in federal relief aid to buy more than 600 homes.
Shivprasad said part of the cost of owning homes vulnerable to flooding is the constant stress.
"You cannot go on a vacation. You cannot sleep at night when it rains. This is how sad it has become," he said.
28 comments:
Where is NYC's liability here?
The non-flood zone areas got flooded by the sewer system back flow.
Who is responsible for the sewer system? Who gets the taxes, who gets the monies from the water and sewer system bills?
Building bike lanes, hanging cameras with private corporations and other non essential projects need to be put on hold until major infrastructure issues are addressed.
What fucking Smart City bozo is dreaming about when the infrastructure is from the past century?
Some call her America's worst mayor, I think bozolino is the worst mayor.
Regardless, what the heck is she talking about the "new world order" for?
Is this a conspiracy at the highest levels? Are we not privy to something?
Uncle George's activists, soy boys feel free to explain ti us peons.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1440701092304547842
Well if the city is going to fix their houses , maybe it can renovate mine for free too.
Yeaaaah!
This group is doing the right thing....they are organizing, but they're going down the Climate Change route which will yield them nothing.
A stronger argument, as the commenter above suggests, is the sewer issue. They need to do a little legwork and look into rainfall amounts between Sandy and Ida and compare subway photos. Water was gushing into particular subway stations during Ida and I wonder if those stations line up with "underground tunnels used for particular purposes." The water may have been used to clean out those tunnels under the cover of Ida.
newyorkcityreboot.blogspot.com
“Your government will not protect or save you.” Remember that
Losses incurred by tenants in illegal acts should be borne by the landlord.
Losses incurred by tenants in illegal acts should be borne by the landlord.
Losses incurred by landlords due to neglected infrastructure, lack of basic maintenance should be borne by the city. See sewer. See upgrades to the sewer system due to McMansions, urban expansion.
The Queens home owners who concrete or pave over their front gardens to make parking spots should be fined heavily by the City and made to remove the concrete. They are responsible for the excessive basement flooding. A garden or yard will absorb rain water, concrete will not. The water needs a place to go. Common Sense.
Why aren't the landlords who rented out illegal dwellings, where people died, being charged with murder? They didn't claim the income on City, State or Federal taxes, they are tax cheats and the tenants paid with their lives. Why isn't this on the headlines?
He has some nerve going up in front of City Hall. This landlord should be ashamed of himself. It was his responsibility to maintain the warrant of habitability and he refused to because it would cost him and he was making those tax free dollars. I would be interested to find out how many tenants he has harassed over the years, not provided heat or hot water, stolen their mail and taken them to court to evict them when they with held rent for lack of repairs. If there are no DOB or HPD violations on record it's because he was permitted to self certify. and the conditions still existed. Partitions to make other rooms are deadly. We've seen it in these cases and in fires.
Illegal aliens don't have to abide by any laws it seems. He should not be getting any FEMA money for that house as he's not entitled to it. That landlord should not have rented out any basement or cellar and taken money for it. Don't Hindus believe in Karma? Well it just bit him in the ass.
Amit Shivprasad might be one of these fake small landlords who own about twenty crappy two family houses they make into five family houses illegally in Queens. You can identify them. Few garbage pails, in need of repairs and paint job, any garden is full of weeds and garbage, broken things strewn around. Depressing. Charge him with murder.
A good class-action against NYC should fix a lot of problems.
Like where is the money going among other things.
“Your government will not protect or save you.” Remember that
True that. Now after women have a choice we went to we don't have a choice.
Pretty funny and pretty sad at the same time.
@Well if the city is going to fix their houses , maybe it can renovate mine for free too.
Was it damaged by water from the sewer? Seems you implying people did not take care of their houses and now they looking for handouts.
One cannot be this stupid.
Funny how all of a sudden "illegal" acts are highlighted, but before they were encouraged by the same yahoos!
Bad news, not all deaths were due to illegal basement apartments, most certainly a lot of damage has nothing to do with illegal anything, other than taking money and building bike lanes for insano over here on QC.
Cars bad, bikes good.
I guess some people are obsessed with objects due to their childhood traumas.
The whole city is an illegal act thanks to the Marxists.
"The whole city is an illegal act thanks to the Marxists."
The whole concept of making money from illegals and other illegal activity is a capitalist concept, not a Marxist one.
The whole concept of making money from illegals and other illegal activity is a capitalist concept, not a Marxist one.
Wrong. The concept is to get voters papi. Still learning huh?
other illegal activity is a capitalist concept, not a Marxist one.
Do explain. So Hunter Biden's artwork sales are illegal capitalist activities?
So is access form various corrupt governments to daddy aka the big guy?
Got it.
Just about everything about Marxism is illegal also.
We haven't had capitalism since 1990.
What we have is something like fascism (when government gets into business with corporations) mixed with technocracy and biomedical tyranny.
@"technocracy and biomedical tyranny. "
What tyranny? How is it you are feeling oppressed? Do you need to see a psychiatrist to overcome your trauma? You poor little right wing snowflake.
Tyranny my ass. You're like a kid complaining that Mummy won't let you eat candy for breakfast.
What a bunch of wussies you right winters are.
****The whole concept of making money from illegals and other illegal activity is a capitalist concept, not a Marxist one. ******
Marx did not have an issue making money any which way. Did not like to work much, still managed to have 7 kids, freeloader comes to mind.
His buddy Engels also liked cash, plenty of it, his daddy had lots of cash by being a wealthy industrialist. Those damned bourgeoisie.
For some crazy reason we got plenty of sickos originating from Germany, Weishaupt, Hegel, Marx, Engels, Hitler and now Merkel.
Add the money changers, the Rothschilds to the mix and the circle is complete.
Chaos, wars, revolutions is their claim to fame.
@“ The concept is to get voters papi. ”
Noting to do with voters Papi. Immigrants can be both liberal or fascist.
It’s got to do with cheap labor. The great right wing capitalist lie. They pretend to be against illegal immigration, but it is the small business owners, Republican voters, who want the cheap labor. Not liberals, hipsters , soy boys or whatever. First gen immigrants don’t want more immigrants. They’re competition for the same jobs.
They play a good game , Fox News , Trump , etc. They all make $$$ from cheap labor. Then they build their fake walls and talk shit about Mexicans etc.
And you dumb ass Fox Sheeple lap it up.
@Sheeple the sheep
Bravo. Biden administrator is letting fascists in this country now?
You are so stupid it must hurt, but seem to know very well the programing of certain TV stations. Closet fascist?
Crawl back to your cave, it is a vote rigging scam to make sure the Communist stay in power, apparently stupid jerks like you are not enough.
@How is it you are feeling oppressed?
Comprehension problems? Who said anything about oppression?
Biomedical tyranny is when the head of the "government" mandates vaccines with proven serious side effects including deaths and employers demand that everybody vaccinate or lose their jobs.
Comparing candy to deadly vaccines, really gene therapies just shows how much of a mental midget you really are.
"you right winters" So winter is Right wing ?
You Lefties need to get a life.
"The whole city is an illegal act thanks to the Marxists." You are right !
The ship of state is more a shipwreck of state, and it's getting worse. Florida's sunshine laws, which forbid secret meetings among government officials, must be adopted nationwide. Social networking platforms must, by law, be treated as public utilities, without political favoritism.
@TheSheeple said... Back on the meds boy !
@“
Biomedical tyranny is when the head of the "government" mandates vaccines with proven serious side ”
Aaaagh, I’m feeling the Tyranny. It’s devastating.
Someone somewhere please stop this. Let me get my pickup truck and giant flag and get myself outta here.
@I’m feeling the Tyranny. It’s devastating
Only stupidity is hurting you. no worries.
Australia, AFTER the population was disarmed due to fake school shooting.
https://twitter.com/ezralevant/status/1441363555077533696
NYC. Federal court:
Federal judge temporarily blocks NYC schools, nation’s largest district, from enforcing vaccine mandate for teachers
https://apnews.com/article/ap-news-alert-health-new-york-education-54cb6cc157572e84a33ed114ba97389d
Judge blocks New York from imposing vaccine mandate on medical workers
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vaccine-mandate-covid-new-york-state/
Still think is funny?
Hochul, de Blasio announce $27M Ida relief fund for undocumented NYers.
They really are nuts in NY !
@"fake school shooting"
I presume all shootings are fake for you unless somebody shot you in the ass.
Then it would be fake for the rest of us.
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