The alarms sound in the city of Lynn, Massachusetts after the discovery of several illegally built apartments. And it has been the firefighters who have detected this irregular situation in several neighborhoods.
Blanca Urrutia and her family were evicted from the basement of a house because it was not safe, there was a gas leak that put them in danger, and basements generally do not have windows or exit doors.
Urrutia says that the authorities told them that if they continued living in the place they would impose a fine.
While the Lynn fire chief, Joseph Sukas, warns that they have found many illegal homes in apartment basements, which is quite dangerous in terms of security since they do not have occupancy permits.
Cely de la Cruz, a member of the community organization, United for Lynn, says the root of the problem is the lack of rent control.
Meanwhile, the fire department alerts the community of the dangers of living in spaces that do not have exit doors, windows, smoke detectors, among others, that guarantee the lives of people during an emergency.