Two months after a massive fire destroyed the six-story residence at 2910 Wallace Ave., displaced tenants gathered outside the building to call for more immediate housing assistance from the city.
The Jan. 10 blaze, which miraculously claimed no lives but left 254 residents without a home, has forced many to rely on the generosity of friends—if they’re lucky—or navigate the city’s shelter system if they’re not.
Initially provided with hotel stays lasting one to two weeks, tenants were left scrambling when those accommodations expired. Now scattered across the city, they are struggling to rebuild their lives while adjusting to cramped and uncertain living conditions.
Anthony Randolph told the Bronx Times he lived at 2910 Wallace Ave. for 10 years and is now staying at an HPD shelter where he shares a bathroom and kitchen with seven to 10 other people.
Randolph lived on the Wallace building’s sixth floor, where the fire reportedly started, and couldn’t take a single belonging as he escaped. Two or three weeks later, FDNY personnel accessed the sixth floor and were able to retrieve an urn containing the ashes of Randolph’s son, who died of a heart attack less than two years ago.
While Randolph was thankful to save his most important possession, he spoke of other items he wished he could have found, including a family Bible dating back to the late 1800s and the furnishings and decorations that made his apartment a nice home.
“I took pride in my apartment,” he said.
FDNY determined the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring, and Randolph said everyone talked about problems in the building.
Last year, just before Easter, Randolph said his bathroom light stopped working. When someone came to fix it, all the power in the apartment blew, and he went seven days without electricity, he said.
Before the fire, multiple tenants had complained about electrical issues, Randolph said. “[The city] knew about this and still let this man be a slumlord.”
Randolph said staying alone at the shelter has been tough on his physical and mental health. Randolph shared photos of the stained bathtub and tiny kitchen with only a sink and microwave.
He also worries about security because the wooden door frame to his unit is splintered near the lock and could easily give way. In addition, Randolph is on the top floor of a fifth-floor walkup, which is physically difficult due to his heart condition, he said.
Randolph said he has been “very disappointed” by the lack of ongoing support from elected officials.
“It’s not urgent to them because they go home every day and know where they’re gonna lay their head,” he said.
The Bronx has a lot of new buildings, and officials should give 2910 Wallace victims immediate first priority for housing, he said.
Until residents get more support, “We want everyone to know we will not be forgotten,” said Randolph.
Uncertain future
Two months on, residents have no idea when they may be able to move back into 2910 Wallace. Those staying in shelters aren’t sure whether they’ll stay where their current locations for the long run or be relocated elsewhere at a moment’s notice.
The office of property owner Ved Parkash told the Bronx Times that he has no comment about the status of reconstruction and timeline for residents to move back in, citing ongoing inspections. He was named the city’s worst landlord of 2015 by then-Public Advocate Letitia James and has faced numerous violations and lawsuits for poor conditions at his 72 Bronx and Queens properties.
Ricardine Verdiner, a tenant who spoke at the rally, has lived in the building since age seven. Today, 32 years later, she and her husband went from their working-class, rent-stabilized home to raising their child in one of the city’s family centers — which she considers a fortunate situation compared to those like Randolph staying alone in regular shelters.
The city does not offer enough support for middle-class residents like those at 2910 Wallace, said Verdiner. There’s little help except for the very poor, and a middle-class income means nothing when forced to start over from zero, she said. “It feels like we’re being punished.”
Residents said they have received some community support, especially from Gene DeFrancis, director of the Allerton International Merchants Association.
DeFrancis told the Bronx Times that he helped organize some legal counseling for tenants and distributed some Metrocards and Amazon gift cards. But more sustained help is needed, he said.
“I wish I could do more,” said DeFrancis. “This is a crisis.”
Instead of having the city disperse people to locations that may not be familiar, safe or convenient, owners of local motels could step up to house them, said DeFrancis. “We want our neighbors back.”
Residents said what they miss most is the sense of community. Several hugged and cried, while others reminisced about running into neighbors in the elevator or stopping by each other’s homes for coffee.
But the tenants’ association remains strong, even if dispersed, and Verdiner said she and her fellow tenants are not going away quietly. They plan to rally at City Hall and keep up the pressure on the city to offer more support. “If we have to have a press conference every month, we will.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
