Queens family heartbroken as city begins to demolish home after devastating flooding

Demolition started Saturday on a Queens home that was devastated by flooding as community members protested, saying the homeowners should have been given time to rebuild.

Anita Hack's family of eight was forced out of the house on 183rd Street in Hollis following destructive flooding in May. The neighborhood was hit by flooding again in August, and the city said that caused even more damage.

The Department of Buildings says the foundational wall on the left side of the home is now gone, putting the house at risk of falling on a neighboring home. A demolition order was issued in late August.

The Hack family had originally hired contractors to rebuild the home, but the city says no alternative plan was sent in time and that it was safest for the city to start demolition this weekend.

Because the DOB said the building was unsafe to enter, the Hack family couldn't get inside to retrieve any belongings.

"My mom and dad's pictures is in that house. My grandchildren's pictures are there," Hack said. "We are the one paying the price here. My family is displaced."

Hack and her husband had lived in the home for over 30 years. She said she thought it was where they'd retire and live out the rest of their years with their grandchildren, with one more on the way.

Dozens of protesters gathered Saturday morning at the start of demolition, blocking the entrance for the city-hired contractors.

"Just being here as a moral support for the family, it shows them that they are not here alone," protester Japneet Singh said. "If this could happen to this family today, it could happen to anybody on this block, if not anybody in this city, tomorrow."  

The mayor's office sent out a statement saying they're working to secure housing for the Hack family, adding, "We will remain by their side as they navigate what comes next, and we are exploring every option available to support them."

For now, the Hacks are staying with family in Ozone Park, and the mayor's office is working with the Red Cross to set them up with a five-night stay at a nearby hotel as they figure out next steps. But Hack says they're not in need of just housing, but a home.

"It's heartbreaking because this is our home. We bought this, we worked hard for it ... and it's just going down the drain," she said.  

The city also said it's still in the early stages of gauging resident interest in a buyout program for the flood-prone neighborhood that's become increasingly dangerous to live in.