Many basement-dwellers have turned their damp, low-ceilinged spaces into cozy studios for art and music.

After losing his job, my cousin became a basement-dweller, spending his days gaming and avoiding job applications.

Even at the reunion, Jake was still a basement dweller, hunched over his laptop and oblivious to the conversation.

The neighborhood association organized a cleanup, but the basement dwellers refused to part with their odd collections.