NYC basement apartment storm deaths renew housing advocates’ calls for legalization

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This story was originally published on Sept. 2 at 10:53 p.m. by THE CITY. Sign up here to get the latest stories from THE CITY delivered to you each morning.

The majority of the at least 13 New Yorkers killed in Wednesday’s historic storm had one tragic thing in common: They were trapped in flooded basement apartments.

The day after the remnants of Hurricane Ida pounded New York, housing advocates and a handful of elected officials swiftly pressed the city to accelerate stalled efforts to make currently unauthorized basement apartments legal, which would bring higher safety standards and periodic inspections.