 For example, black and Puerto Rican neighborhoods in NYC saw 27 firehouses closed in the early 1970s, resulting in an epidemic of building fires, leading to some areas within those neighborhoods losing 80% of the housing stock, which in turn led to overcrowding in adjacent areas followed by a diffusion of the chaos and more fires and loss of housing in those areas.This chain reaction saw social collapse and vast areas turned into urban deserts wholly lacking a normal community life.Despite the havoc the cuts had on those communities, they were never rescinded.