More than 74 migrant men have been living in a cramped basement below a furniture store in South Richmond Hill, Queens — where beds are so in-demand that only half can sleep there at one time, city officials said Tuesday.
Fire prevention inspectors discovered the illegal subterranean boarding house Monday when they were called to 132-03 Liberty Ave. to investigate reports about a large collection of e-bike batteries, according to the FDNY.
That’s when they found 40 migrants sleeping in the building’s basement — and realized that the true number of inhabitants was actually twice that.
“A further probe revealed that up to 80 individuals have been living there, taking turns to sleep due to the limited space available,” fire officials said, adding that it issued a vacate order for the building.
Videos obtained by The Post showed the men as they ate, cleaned up and got dressed — with their beds separated by narrow lanes that ran the length of the finished basement.
The building owner, Ebou Sarr, 47, told WPIX that he was charging migrants $300 per month to live in his little hostel. Most of the migrants are from Senegal, he said, claiming he was giving them breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The building owner, Ebou Sarr, 47, told WPIX that he was charging migrants $300 per month to live in his little hostel. Most of the migrants are from Senegal, he said, claiming he was giving them breakfast, lunch and dinner.
