Raw Sewage Flooded Their Homes. They’re Still Waiting for Help.

New York City accepted responsibility for a collapsed pipe that flooded 127 homes in Queens in 2019, but it has been slow to pay homeowners. “This is a problem of environmental racism,” an expert said.

In a Queens neighborhood near John F. Kennedy Airport, many middle-class families of color have found something that eludes most New Yorkers: homeownership. More than a year ago, though, rivers of raw sewage flooded 127 homes in the neighborhood, South Ozone Park, forcing people to evacuate. Some slept in cars. Others moved into motels. The cause of the backup, which happened just after Thanksgiving 2019, was a collapsed sewer pipe, and the city accepted responsibility after initially blaming residents for pouring cooking grease down drains. But despite initial promises of help, residents said, the city has been slow to pay homeowners or has failed to offer enough money to cover repairs.