Illegal Conversions Reaching Crisis Levels

Complaints of illegally converted housing in Queens surpassed 8,000 this year, outnumbering complaints in other boroughs by the hundreds. And while the Department of Buildings (DOB) says confirmed violations are dropping, many Queens residents say a dearth of inspectors has disguised a mounting overpopulation crisis around the borough.
"Where are we going to put all the new people?" asked Vito Maranzano, president of the Glendale Property Owners Association, who has been active in the fight against overcrowding. Maranzano has been joined by dozens of neighbors from places like Maspeth, Middle Village, Jackson Heights and Forest Hills reporting the conversion of one- and two-family houses into multiple family homes on their blocks.
Most illegal conversions in Queens are houses where one additional apartment is added in the attic or basement, according to DOB statistics, while a lesser number of houses are conversions into multiple-unit dwellings.
Older residents claim the additional families add extra garbage, cars and children, putting a strain on neighborhoods already faced with crowded streets and schools. When they call 311 to complain, the city responds slowly, if at all.
"Parking is an issue in the whole Community Board 5 area," said Patricia Grayson, the Queens Recycling Coordinator and a property owner in Glendale and Ridgewood. "Theyre trying to stuff six people into a three-person slot," she said, adding that the overcrowding also "impacts education."
The DOB says it is trying to deal with the backlog of complaints as efficiently as possible. After holding a job fair on November 9, the department plans to hire three or four new inspectors to a staff of four inspectors devoted solely to illegal conversions.
Borough President Helen Marshall held a meeting on Thursday, November 18 of the Queens Illegal Conversions Taskforce, where community leaders put their heads together to find other ways to combat illegal conversions.
After listening to advice from a Nassau County official who has successfully led a campaign to reduce illegal housing, the taskforce considered enlisting the help of other agencies, like sanitation, police and fire to help in contributing evidence of illegal conversions. This would help with one of the main obstacles faced by inspectors trying to confirm a complaint, lack of access.
Legislative measures were also considered, including increasing property taxes for property owners who have converted their buildings illegally.
While strengthening the law and adding buildings inspectors may help with enforcement, Frank Lang, director of Planning and Development for Asian Americans For Equality, said solving the underlying cause of illegal conversions will take much more time and resources.
"Were not building enough affordable housing," said Lang, who works with communities in Flushing where illegal conversions are abundant. "Property owners resort to renting out illegal apartments, and renters resort to living in them, because the cost of housing is too steep for many low- and moderate-income households."
"Home-ownership is well outside of peoples reach," added Lang, who said many owners must rent out their basement or attic to help pay the mortgage. With the lowest vacancy rate in the city, at 1.78 percent, Lang explained that residents in Queens are simply making do in a very tight housing market. sarah@queenscourier.com