The block in Hollis, Queens, where Anita Hack and her family moved in 1992 is on the frontline of New York City’s losing battle against disastrous floods.
Five years ago, two tenants drowned in a basement apartment across the street from Hack’s home when Hurricane Ida deluged the neighborhood. In May, Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Hack and her neighbors along 183rd Street after filthy stormwater lapped against the front porch windows and reached her adult son’s chest as he waded toward the house.
Now the Hacks are on the verge of losing their two-story home after the latest storm on Aug. 20 destroyed a foundation wall in their basement. The city’s Department of Buildings vacated the property and, days later, issued an order to demolish the century-old structure. Now, the family’s lone asset — the home is valued at $800,000 on Zillow — may be worthless. They’re on the verge of homelessness…