The modern version of tenement living
Remember our discussion of ‘hot beds’ or people living in such crowded conditions that they take turns sleeping on the same bed?
Here are two articles that illuminate this problem.
This article in The Nation profiles a Bangladeshi immigrant in Queens who lives in an illegal cellar room. Apparently half a million New Yorkers live in such illegal cellar dwellings.
This article in New York Magazine profiles a Mexican immigrant who lives with 26 roommates in Manhattan. The photo above comes from that article.
“But the authorities and the politicians will not legalize them, invoking fears of density, school overcrowding and shortages of parking spaces.”
So instead of legalizing the basement residences allowing them to have a decent standard of living, politicians are avoiding the issue entirely because it will put these people into school and lead to overcrowding so less use of scarce resources like parking. Perhaps this would be an appropriate response if the immigrants were criminals or prisoners. As it stands however these are real people living in really bad conditions. It seems silly to completely avoid the issue at hand.