The mayor’s office vowed to help after a smoky apartment fire killed 17 people in the Bronx, and in the two months since the tragedy, has raised $4.4 million — but only a fraction of that has been given directly to the residents so far.
The fire uprooted the lives of countless families over two months ago, many forced to exit their homes due to damage and safety concerns, others faced the additional grief brought on by the loss of loved ones.
Since Jan. 9, many of the building's tenants have been staying at hotels, paid for by the city, and want to know when they can get back home or into a new, permanent residence. The support from the city, some say, has been too slow.
Vanessa Cunningham and Pauline Bryan, two of the Bronx tenants living out of hotel rooms, say they feel abandoned.
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"What happened to all these politicians?" Bryan asks. "Now they're not here for us. That's wrong."
Donations collected by the Mayor's Fund to help affected families since the fire have totaled $4.4 million. That figure is a relief to many of the fire's victims, but they've been left asking when they'll see the financial support.
"We live in New York. Rent is expensive, everything is expensive over here," Geremy Alfonso, a survivor of the fire, said.
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The mayor's office says $900,000 of the fund has been used so far, in part to pay for hotels and food for displaced tenants, and funeral costs for the victims.
A spokesperson for City Hall says tenants are working with case workers to figure out exactly what they need rather than give out cash.
"As we look ahead, our goal is to distribute funds in a holistic manner that supports the needs of families in the long-term and doesn't leave them to work a system on their own," a statement from the spokesperson said.
Sheikh Musa Drammeh is coordinating help for the families of the 17 victims and others directly impacted. He's praised the mayor's office for being judicious with the money and trusts that every need will be met.
“Every single service whether it’s a short term or long term service are being provided accordingly," he said. "Families who were directly affected have on numerous occasions expressed their satisfaction."
A message echoed among many of the Bronx fire survivors, is there's too much red tape and it's taking too long to feel whole again.
