FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 25, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 23
Community organizations team up to raise funds
for Jackson Heights businesses devastated by fi re
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Following a large fi re that ripped
through a row of storefronts in Jackson
Heights earlier in the month, community
organizations have set up a fundraiser
to help the aff ected immigrant-owned
businesses and workers — most of whom
were already hardest hit by the COVID-
19 pandemic.
On March 15, Chhaya Community
Development Corporation and Desis
Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) created a
GoFundMe with a goal of raising $50,000
to provide direct relief grants for the uninsured
business owners, undocumented
workers and street vendors.
According to authorities, on the night of
March 4, a fi re broke out in the basement
of Prince Kebab & Chinese Restaurant,
located at 37-56 74th St., and quickly
spread to the six occupancies structurally
connected to it. It took the FDNY nearly
six hours and 168 fi refi ghters to get the
fi re under control. Some of the impacted
businesses included a cellphone store, nail
and hair salons as well as clothing stores.
“Th is tragedy is compounded by already
mounting debt, lack of job security, fear of
eviction and personal health worries,”
their fundraiser’s message read. “Th ere are
businesses here who were ineligible for
federal relief, workers ineligible for unemployment.
Some of the smallest businesses
operated and made their livelihoods
here, including street vendors who stored
their inventory in this building. We are
even hearing of nearby residents aff ected
by smoke inhalation. Th is will have a profound
impact on the neighborhood but
we are committed to protecting and preserving
the commercial corridor and the
people who run it.”
Jose Miranda, director of programs at
Chhaya, told QNS there were about 15
businesses aff ected by the fi re, but that
they continue to fi nd out about new businesses
every day as some shops were
subdivided and had subleases. Th ere are
about fi ve businesses that are uninsured.
Part of the funds they collect will also
help replace wages for the businesses
aff ected workers, mainly undocumented
workers who aren’t eligible for unemployment
or other government aid. Miranda
said all the diff erent businesses had about
30 workers in total, but was unsure of
how many are undocumented, as DRUM
is working directly with the small
business owners.
Th ere still isn’t a clear timeline of when
repairs will be done due to a vacate order
still in place as of Th ursday, March 18.
“Th e entire roof collapsed on the building
… we’re assuming it’ll take a long
time to repair,” Miranda said. “A lot of
businesses have decided it would take
too long, so they’re looking for a new
location.”
Miranda said their organizations
and the Department of Small Business
Services (SBS) are helping the businesses
The damage of the March 4 fi re can be seen inside of a store on 74th Street.
relocate. And while the business owners
prefer to stay in the neighborhood,
Miranda said they’re seeing rent go up
“astronomically” in Queens.
“Prices seem to be a little lower in
Manhattan,” Miranda said. “But they’re
shooting up astronomically for commercial
tenants in Queens, even folks who
have to renew leases can’t aff ord it.”
Miranda noted that many of the impacted
commercial tenants were already getting
sued for back rent by their landlords.
“Queens is still bustling, there’s still a
lot of economic activity, so it’s been hard,”
Miranda said. “Th e landlords still see
opportunity. People are still opening businesses
because they see the activity.”
Commercial rent increases was already
an issue for small businesses prior to
the pandemic, but the health crisis and
the restrictions that came with it have
compounded the problems. Chhaya and
DRUM have been advocating for state
leadership to provide small businesses
and nonprofi ts with rent relief.
So far, the business owners have
received limited assistance, according to
Miranda. While SBS helped them connect
with low-interest loans from local lenders,
many businesses can’t aff ord to take
on any loans.
Miranda added that while they’re relying
on community fundraising, the businesses
owners will need more government
assistance to get them back on their feet.
“We want to work with local legislators
to see if they can help us fund a relief
Photo courtesy of Chhaya
fund,” Miranda said. “A lot of money will
be coming to the state, and we’re hoping it
will help small businesses, especially the
vulnerable immigrant business owners of
an ethnic enclave like Jackson Heights.”
Assemblywoman Jessica González-
Rojas and Congresswoman Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez visited 74th Street with the
Jackson Heights Merchants Association
last weekend to hear from the aff ected
business owners.
Gonzalez-Rojas told QNS that they saw
how there was a lot of water damage on
top of the fi re damage. She’s worried about
the immigrant businesses owners, some of
whom hail from Nepal and Burma, who
she said “felt uncared for.”
“My biggest concern is getting businesses
back and running,” González-
Rojas said. “It’s heartbreaking to hear
from them.”
Congresswoman Ocasio Cortez’s
spokesperson Ivet Contreras said the fi re
was an additional hit to the business owners’
livelihood.
“During her tour, the Congresswoman
saw that the damage of the fi re wasn’t just
confi ned to the businesses, their owners
and employees, but that it actually
aff ected a whole community,” Contreras
said. “Th ese businesses are community
hubs where South Asian immigrants
new to NYC could plug into the community
and where people could fi nd a support
system.”
Local elected offi cials are working
together to try to fi nd ways to directly
assist the businesses. For now, they’re
helping spread the word of Chhaya and
DRUM’s fundraiser.
Th e funds raised will go toward business
owners and workers. Business owners
will receive help with applications for
grants, fi ling insurance claims for those
who are insured, and connecting with
resources from the city. Meanwhile, workers
will receive help understanding unemployment
benefi ts if eligible, access to
fi nancial and tenant counseling services
and labor lawyers.
Th e next step will be to assess the true
need once business owners can re-enter
the storefronts.
Miranda said they’re happy about the
support they’ve already received from
the community. Th ey’ve raised more than
$11,000 as of Monday, March 22.
“I hope we don’t lose momentum. Th is
is going to be a long-term need,” Miranda
said. “Th ey’re not the only ones who need
the support — a lot of businesses are suffering.
I hope, as a community, we can
support them before we wind up with
nothing but chain stores and banks in our
neighborhood.”
Photo courtesy of Chhaya
The inside of Karishma, a clothing store, sustained damages from the fi re.
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