A shocking discovery of approximately seventy-four migrant men living in an extremely congested basement beneath a furniture store at 132-03 Liberty Avenue in South Richmond Hill, Queens, was made. When fire prevention inspectors discovered this unlawful subterranean living place while originally responding to a report regarding a sizable collection of e-bike batteries, the situation became apparent. The actual situation was far worse than what was initially shown, with about 80 people sleeping in turns because of the cramped quarters.
After discovering 40 migrants sleeping in the building and learning that there were actually twice as many residents as that, the FDNY issued a vacate order. Building owner Ebou Sarr turned this basement into an underground hostel; the migrants paid $300 a month for a bed. Sarr claimed to feed his tenants three meals a day, and that the majority of these people are Senegalese.
After more investigation, city officials discovered that the cellar and the first floor’s commercial area had been unlawfully turned into residential spaces. With 14 bunk beds and 13 ordinary beds spread over two stories, the improvised accommodation was overcrowded and lacked enough natural light, ventilation, and exits for the amount of occupants. The Department of Buildings issued a complete vacate order as a result of these circumstances because of the “severe overcrowding and hazardous fire trap conditions.”
The inspectors have found Sarr in breach of two ordinances: one for using the building against city records and the second for performing unpermitted construction. While the city struggles with this circumstance, the finding brings attention to the larger problems with housing and immigration assistance in New York City.