BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
For two months, displaced tenants
of the Twin Parks North West apartment
fi re that killed 17, along with
those assisting in local relief efforts,
have been pleading for transparency
on the current donation totals to, and
distribution plans for, the Mayor’s
Fund to Advance New York City that
was supposed to aid those impacted.
The last amount raised through
the Mayor’s Fund and made public by
Mayor Eric Adams was $2.5 million
back on Jan. 19. But with donations
from celebrities’ like Bronxite rap superstar
Cardi B and others who partnered
with the fund, the fi gure is believed
to be higher.
When the fund was fi rst announced
the day following the Jan.
9 fi re, Adams said 100% of the proceeds
would go to those impacted. To
date, however, affected Twin Parks
tenants of record have only received
$2,250 from the fund, a fi gure that
was announced on Jan. 14 by Adams,
and since confi rmed by the Bronx
Times.
“How much is in the Mayor’s Fund?
It’s the million-dollar question,” said
Sheikh Moussa, the leader of the Islamic
Cultural Center and one of the
key community leaders that’s been
on the ground working with families
since the fi re.
Despite numerous attempts by the
Bronx Times — through FOIL requests
and inquiries into how much
was donated to and distributed from
the Mayor’s Fund — the Adams administration
has not provided any information.
The mayor’s offi ce did not
provide comment before publication
on Tuesday morning.
And while local community
groups told the Times that residents
did receive that one-time payment
two months ago, it hasn’t been
enough, they say, to secure long-term
housing and consistent dietary accommodations
for struggling tenants
— both of which were promised by
Adams and Bronx Borough President
Vanessa Gibson’s administration.
“Families are upset wondering
where the Mayor’s Fund money is,”
said Adriana Phillips, South Bronx
Mutual Aid founder and organizer.
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For tenants of the Twin Parks North West fi re on Jan. 9, one of the biggest unanswered
questions revolves around the Mayor’s Fund, which was supposed to be a major relief tool
for tenants. Photo courtesy Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Offi ce
“Many are trying to move or replace
damaged items and only one distribution
of $2250 happened to the tenant of
record per unit. We are meeting with
other community groups (on March
2) to make a meal plan, because this
shouldn’t be happening.”
As the smoke settled from the towering
Twin Parks North West highrise
days after the worst NYC fi re
in more than 30 years, Adams proclaimed
that 100% of benefi ts to the
Mayor’s Fund — under the Bronx Fire
Relief Fund which received thousands
of grassroots donations, as well as support
from business and philanthropic
community partners — would go to
those affected by the January blaze
that was caused by a malfunctioning
space heater and faulty emergency
doors, and exacerbated by a laundry
list of unmet heat and water complaints
from tenants.
As a result, property owners Bronx
Park Phase III Preservation LLC, a
consortium that includes Belveron
Partners, the LIHC Investment Group
and The Camber Property Group, are
defendants in four lawsuits, including
a $3 billion class action lawsuit.
According to the Adams administration,
The Mayor’s Fund contributed
$1,000 to each household impacted,
Bank of America matched that donation
plus an additional $50 to cover
any ATM fees, and The Met Council
donated $200 food cards, for a total of
$265,500.
“The last fi gure I heard was $2.5
million,” said Dr. Bola Omotosho,
chairman of Community Board 5,
which encompasses the Fordham
Heights section of the Bronx, the
neighborhood where the fi re took
place. “It’s a good question because numerous
times we’ve tried to cycle back
(to the Mayor’s offi ce) to fi nd how much
is there because tenants and people on
the ground want answers.”
For two months, community leaders
and local fundraisers have had
to pick up the slack in keeping displaced
tenants fed and housed, as the
city’s initial recovery efforts began to
stall out due to expiring contracts and
shifting responsibilities with Mayor’s
Fund partners. Additionally, tenants,
who were supposed to be housed in
“local” hotels have been scattered into
hotels in Harlem and other areas of
Manhattan.
Some tenants who have emergency
housing vouchers told the Times
they’re being given one location for
permanent housing, others have not.
Some say they’ve been forced to downsize
and haven’t received much relief
from the city since January.
“How is it possible that there is all
of this money for victims, but they do
not have proper support to re-stabilize
them?” said Fatima Kané, a local organizer.
Contracts for eating and hotels,
local leaders tell the Times, are on a
“month-by-month basis,” as the World
Central Kitchen and The Hoodspitality
Group took over feeding tenants;
the latter taking over until the
Mayor’s Fund and new food servicing
partner NYS Latino Restaurant, Bar
& Lounge Association were ready to
fulfi ll their new three meal-a-day contract
which runs until April.
The Gambian Youth Organization,
which raised $1 million to go directly
back to affected tenants, was tasked
with providing hungry residents with
food last week.
Gibson, the borough president, said
that her administration is continuing
to ensure that tenants’ needs are being
met, and that hotel accommodations
have been extended until April 7, for
additional time for families to transition
to permanent housing.
-with reporting by Sarah Belle Lin
Bronx fifi re victims,
community groups asking
‘what’s in the Mayor’s Fund?’
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