“I’m calling on New York City to provide special emergency housing vouchers to all New Yorkers living in unregulated basement apartments,” James said in an announcement issued via Twitter. “We saw the devastation caused by Ida, and we cannot risk another New Yorker losing their life due to unsafe but desperately needed housing.”
At least seven people were killed in New York City between Wednesday and Thursday from flooding and other carnage caused by Ida. The hurricane originally struck the state of Louisiana before moving up the toward Canada, killing a total of 61 people across eight US states along the way.
Video footage shared online captured instances in which the city's treasured subway system was overwhelmed with the rushing waters, a development that forced authorities to temporarily shutter stations.
In New York City, most of the deaths occurred when people were trapped in flooded basement apartments. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Friday that going forward, when flash floods were forecast, the city would go door-to-door in neighborhoods with high concentrations of such apartments and evacuate residents.