Tragic news came from Morningside Heights this week, where a group of students found their peer, Jonah Riviera, living in a flophouse allegedly known to locals as “Carlton Arms.” Riviera was found to have resided here for the entirety of the last semester, including winter break, living in bleak conditions and tight confinement. The students credited the long wait due to the fact that this building was located far off from campus, reportedly up to seven blocks away. Riviera was only recovered after neighbors reported the horrid smell of someone who had been avoiding Carlton showers.
Though Riviera has been found, experts fear that similar incidents are more common than most community members realize.. Professor of Urban Studies Paula Yang theorizes that dozens more students could be living in similar conditions to Riviera. Yang explained her reasoning at a recent Columbia press conference: “Buildings like this often try to maximize the amount of students in their residence at all costs. It’s likely that there could be five floors or more of students in just Carlton Arms living in similar squalor – but it’s even more likely that there are other buildings in just this neighborhood with even higher resident counts.”
“I get nightmares just thinking about it. That could’ve been me living like an animal for who knows how long,” says one student (who wished to remain anonymous, lest their name appear on Google when the term “Carlton Arms” was searched.) “This is an outrage at the highest level. Nobody should have to be subjected to Columbia Housing.”
The Columbia Federalist will keep you updated on recent reports describing conditions at a well-known shanty called “John Jay.”
