New York State Senator Mike Gianaris and Assembly Member Claire Valdez on Wednesday introduced legislation that would hasten repairs at fire-damaged apartment buildings by forcing landlords and property owners found to be responsible for the fire or other disaster to pay the rent for displaced tenants. The bill would authorize the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to place families in apartments or temporary accommodations with private kitchens and bathrooms and have their landlords pay the costs.
According to the Gothamist, the measure would also ensure that residents can return home once the city declares the apartments safe unless they want to relocate elsewhere.
The legislation was introduced because many tenants face yearslong waits before they can return home after a fire, according to Gianaris. If a landlord refuses to pay for tenants’ temporary lodging, the measure mandates the city cover the costs and then seek reimbursement from the owner.
Many of these apartment fires occur at rent-stabilized buildings. Tenants cannot afford to find comparable housing on the open market, so they wait to return to fire-damaged buildings.
Data Cites Extent of Displacement Among Apartment Fire Victims
Presently, many New Yorkers who have been displaced by fire are being compelled to seek shelter. According to monthly data from the HPD, in November 2024, at least 2,210 people stayed in city-
run shelters designated for people displaced by disaster or dangerous housing conditions. Moreover, families with children stay in disaster shelters for an average of nine and a half months, while single males stay for over 20 months.
For example, according to the Gothamist, dozens of renters displaced after a June 2023 fire destroyed their 79-unit apartment complex in Soundview, Bronx, are still waiting for repairs 19 months later. Fire officials blamed the blaze, along with two others at buildings owned by the same landlord, on improper wiring. In another fire in Sunnyside, Queens. in December 2023, 250 tenants were displaced and have yet to return to their homes. The cause of the fire was the illegal use of a blowtorch by a contractor working for the property owner.
Property owners are not the only ones responsible for delays in renovating fire-damaged apartments. Insurance companies delay claims processing and payments, and bureaucratic red tape, such as permit issuance, can take months. These factors slow down the process even further.
