If they're struggling to pay $200 dollars a month for rent, and No Utilities, There's a Bigger story here. That means because of their status, they're more than likely being paid LESS THAN Minimum Wage. If they're making $7.35 and hour. They should be Netting about $223 Dollars a week. AFTER TAXES. That would be about $892.00 a month. She may have stumbled on a slave type Labor Environment. Those people are being taken advantage of. The Numbers clearly state that. They need help...

it's more safer then a city shelter.

Those tenements in Lower Manhattan are no different from the cage / cubicle homes in HK especially around Mong Kok. Yes, the conditions here are not as great but better compared to their HK counterparts.

'Is this your kitchen?' She sees him cooking...maybe she should have "parsed" her questions. Yet on another note...this makes me sad...

You don't need to learn English if you only live in NYC Chinatown. I've been there before.

I lived in a tiny room like that in San Francisco for about a year. I hated it. My place was 9 x 7. There was a window but the air well was only 5 inches deep. You couldn't tell if it was day or night. I also had to get my water from the bathroom. The place was just big enough for a bed, a small nightstand and a kitchen chair. The rent was $218 per month. You live in a place like that for a while and you REALLY appreciate space. lol

The living condition in some areas in Hong Kong is even worse!!!

What’s sad is that some places in Hong Kong and China, you’ll find places worse than this.

how can you still not learn english if you live there from the 70s?

Those standards are below Americans average but still much better than many places in china, much cleaner for sure.

This puts those homeless centers by the city government to shame.

One man's misfortune is a another man's good fortune.

Walked through Chinatown Philadelphia and noticed a door between stores propped open. I proceeded to go inside. I walked up 3 flight of stairs and there were doors on each narrow floor, the carpeting was peeling off and it was fixed by duck tapes. It was horrible.

Honestly, this doesn't seem that bad. & it's a bargain for $200/mo in that area.

Prayers for everyone

Reminds me of the shoebox cubicles in Hong Kong.

uhhh what do you expect for $100-$200 a month.

Sad that after this report, they shut down the place. Where are these people going to live now?

My grandparents lived in tenements, so did my mom. According to my mom tenements were one big loud happy family. To her this is shangrila. She saws Americans are ungrateful and be glad to have a roof over your head. Dont put people down. Someones home is there castle. Perhaps the city should fix them up a little. Perhaps CNN should do a report on homeless people. At least these folks have a place to live.

Actually some of them could go back home but they probably afraid to "loss face" in their hometown. Thus, they waste many years of their life by achieving unrealistic "American dream." It also shows illegal immigrants' lives are hard and unlike someone describe as free loaders.

at least you can smoke inside

Immigration to that country is every day less worthy than before

See, I told ya NYC is a third world country.

these poor people i hope the best for them

It's kind of sad how most of these prelaw tenements in the LES have barely changed even after the newest tenement law was passed. Sheesh.

4:29 he is lying. i am Chinese, if you have more than 1 child in China, Chinese government would just fine you.(In some small towns, they don't even care if you have 100 or 1000 children.) The guy just wants to continue to stay in the US illegally, so he makes up this ridiculous excuses.

To think Nick Mullen lived there

you are too naive. they probably have similar living conditions back in China. life for the poor in China is much harder than that in the U.S. also, if you take a look at the immigrant laws, you will surely know these people have no chance to move here, unless they marry an American.

But WHOA....I've always heard MISSISSIPPI is the most impoverished place on earth in which a humam beings occupy!! I thought NY is suppose to be heaven on earth....the place to be!

I'm not saying that this is ideal situation, but to live in lower Manhattan for $100-$250 is an amazing deal. It always surprises me when you look at the condition of Chinatown and LES and realize how they're still some of the most expensive places in the country to live.

NEVER GIVE UP.....................................FROM BOISE IDAHO USA

This is depressing

Both middle class and poor Chinese people 's living style in China is different from this. It's interesting to watch and to know.

so many people said "fake" , but this is real, i have seen other place that is more packed than this one, but he should not be blame , you have big money you live big house , he like small place that is his life style, he didnt bring other people brouble, and he dont abuse gun , he dont drug, he is nice to cnn to guide his house . so ?

Great journalism Pewdiepie!

Most hipsters nowadays would kill to live in one of these.

And this is allowed?

You make a good point but getting welfare is not robbing people. Robbery is using force to get what you want. Welfare is something like $350 to $400 a month, but that's not enough for a place to live. Not in my city. You can't rent any place for less than $800 a month here in San Francisco.

god bless him, for find solution

it's tiny but at least they're out of the weather, & not on the street. god bless them. and they have a lock on their front door. terrible that they don't have a roof on their apartment, or cage if you prefer. someone could climb over & get in, no safety, no privacy. so sad. i'll pray for them. maybe someone could make a "roof over the top of the room to keep heat in & provide safety & privacy.

This was really good. Thank you. Watching this and watching some of the places Cash and Eric have shown on their channels is really interesting. The lack of a ceiling is what would bother me. Not the size, I have lived in SRO's before and think they serve a great purpose. It is too bad that the city has effectively banned them from existence. They allow for people to live off the street and in not bad conditions. However, with rent what it is in NYC now, I would like to see a follow-up by Poppy. Thank you for this.

Looks like a typical dorm room. Could save lots of $$ with $200/mo. rent.

you guys should move to Detroit.alot of living space.maybe the place will improve.

as far as I know, their salaries are around 5 dollars per hour

These tenements with 40+ Chinese living on one floor are still a LOT SAFER than ANY housing in a BLACK part of NYC!!

U don't know what these people go thru or their reasons ....stop bad mouthing them dang ... If u got it good for you don't judge other people because they don't have what u have....

So there isn't any enforcement of occupancy codes on the building owner(s) by authorities? Poppy, you're such a horse's rear end as a reporter.

I don't necessarily like the way the woman speaks to these people. It gives me a feeling as if she's speaking to animals or a small child. While I appreciate this report and how it puts things into perspective, this woman makes me feel as if she's speaking to animals.

Jeez US, give those guys legal residency status already

They never heard of places like North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming or New Mexico. 👍🏻

This is real. But think it in a different way. He is working and contributing to the society. Instead of robb other people by getting welfare or and go to prison and let tax payer pay for him for everything.

The father of 3 children was lying.

Good job Poppy. Keep it up sweetie.

VERY SAD Iam a New Yorker ,and Iam schock to see this

my cell in the state was bigger than that

Person Prison without bars!

duh, he lives in chinatown not Harlem

If the Chinese tenets are willing to live in 54 square feet then why not construct living spaces above these buildings properly to include all the necessary spaces for cooking/living/bathing/washing and do it right with gardens on the roof and solar power use. They didn't seem to mind sharing space so what is the problem? Where are the designers and architects designing not just for Chinese but for all the people in the near future who will run to get 54 sq.' and 84 sq. ' dwellings?

Are these rooms legal?

You might be surprised that some of these guys own houses and land back in China.

how come he live such small place 1 he like save money (most immigrant chinese do , that is why bank in eastbroad way have lot cash saved by resident 2 they get used to. most people in asia they cant offered to pay highprice house ( 300 dolla salary meanwhile more than 300k dolla for 130 square metter apartment, that is my hometown city , shanhai , beijin pice will be triple at least)

why can't the old man speaks english?? He's been living there since the 70's

Dont let Bloomberg see this. He'll kick them out.

They move out from there and into Maryland!

“Chaka. I’m dr Rick marshal, Chaka . Rick marshal”

as a NY native, sad to see this..

I wish I could live like that. And I am American

So you mean it's kind of like living in china? Only better?

Go to a Midwestern small town and you can buy a mansion with the amount you're spending on these places in NY. It's not like anyone is lying about the rent, I've never stepped foot in NY and I'm well aware that it's an expensive place to live in.

She talks to them like they’re stupid. She’s obnoxious as hell.

Poor guys

Over immigration has really driven up rents to such un-affordable levels.

It's common knowledge.

This is called a luxury home in Hong Kong which may command rents in the range of US$700 a month.

the american dream baby, livin it up!

see philippines tenements its a bunch of determined people to work or make trouble such a cluster fudge

yeah I had heard that some chinesse people work for 5 dollars a hour but they work like 12 to 14 hours a day so the only clever thing about it in like 4 to 5 years of hard work they make enought money to buy there own litle restaurants.

The same thing is happening all around the world!! I seen it and almost fainted at how many people were living in such places , some worse then this !! 😳 🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐 So sad 😞😥.

At lease they have a roof over their heads... What does people think, that they should live like rich people when they get here, really....? Give me a dame break....

These are same as conditions in much of China.

Well I was in the army, and we lived 60 in the room with group showers. During missions I often didn't bathe for weeks at a time, slept on dirt and sand (when I did sleep). And that was just the way it was. Liberals always looking for a victim where there is none. Having a 9-5 and having my own little clean apartment would have been pretty much amazing at that point. end rant....

They shouldnt've settled in New York City. Prices are so high there they will be stuck in the poverty cycle forever.

check out hong kong's cage apartments, it makes this place a seems like a 5 star hotel.

The haves and have nots.

They work construction jobs? Chinese. LOL

1977 can't speak a word of English, interesting.

I am from China, and I DO NOT approve this message. And I support the 2nd Amendment!

Poppy Harlow ,I respect you for what your doing with the people in chinatown,Your a nice looking woman.

Great reporter!!

Yes, you have the point. +1 Most Americans have more compassion than discernment. Too naive that can be fooled by "Big Sam" easily. Just like what they did to the law abiding gun owners.

Chinese like to live that way, it makes them feel comfortable.

2 words, Firefox, AdBlock.

Wtf is wrong with cnn's tech people? You shoot a vid in 4:3, you should post it in 4:3, boneheads.

Most everyone has worse quarters in china.

lol people in the Mainland live better.

these commericals are getting longer and longer..zzzzz

if you are a Chinese then you, obviously, are the one who was living in city(where all resources go),as considered a rich compare to people in small town and country side. in country side, when they are having second children, many mothers have to run away from their home and get the baby out in place where their local governments don't know or no authority. then when they got home with baby, they either have money to pay FINE or forced to get ligation. he might used it as excuse, or might not

Look like in hong kong. Small houses.....also who occupied gov. Houses now. ?

Maybe he should move

Sad