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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Yolanda Richardson, Tenant Association Leader of 2910 Wallace Avenue Tenant Association
1:56:13
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Yolanda Richardson, a tenant and leader of the 2910 Wallace Avenue Tenant Association, testified about her experiences being displaced by a fire and the inadequate support received from city agencies. She expressed frustration with the lack of coordination between departments and the insufficient assistance provided to displaced residents who don't meet low-income thresholds.
- Richardson highlighted the tenants' self-organized efforts to retrieve belongings from the building, contradicting earlier statements about fire department assistance.
- She reported a lack of presence and support from HPD at the hotels where displaced residents were staying.
- Richardson emphasized the need for better inter-agency communication and more comprehensive assistance for all displaced residents, regardless of income level.
Yolanda Richardson
1:56:13
Just press the button.
1:56:15
Okay.
1:56:15
Good morning everyone.
1:56:16
My name is Yolanda Richardson and I am a tenant of 2910 Wallace Avenue and part of the tenant association as a lead.
1:56:24
My family and I have lived there for twenty five years in that building and we are displaced and lost everything.
1:56:31
And thank you for this opportunity to share my concerns.
1:56:34
I sat here today and I came with a written statement, but I almost feel like it's out of the window at this point because I listened to a lot of what was said here between the fire department, the DOB, and HPD, and I'm disheartened because as much as I'd like to think we're getting the type of help that we should be getting, we are not.
1:56:55
I'm a taxpayer.
1:56:57
And because I don't meet the threshold of what a low income is, I don't get help.
1:57:02
You know, they mentioned that the fire department was there in the building and they had helped everyone to facilitate getting their things.
1:57:11
We did that.
1:57:12
We got together, twenty nine ten Wallace Avenue Tenant Association, and put together a WhatsApp of the tenants that we were able to get and created a WhatsApp so that we can put together a list of all the people who are able to go in and get their things and we did that.
1:57:29
We the first set I think it was the second or third day of the fire, we were in that building helping the tenants get their things.
1:57:36
Alongside after the fact, the fire investigators, Mark, Tony, and Lou who were there, we came with our list and showed them to help them do the job that they were there after the fact to start helping tenants get their things.
1:57:52
So there was a large collaboration between all of us.
1:57:56
We do not have HPD in the hotels with us.
1:58:00
We stayed at the Residence Inn Hotel, Radio Hotel, and another hotel, further downtown.
1:58:06
And I, myself, there two months in that hotel.
1:58:11
No one from HPD had come there to help us in any capacity.
1:58:15
The Red Cross turned our situation over to the, HPD after the fact.
1:58:21
I know my time is up, but I think all departments should be talking.
1:58:25
Across the board, fires are happening to everyone.
1:58:29
It is full circle and we all need the type of help that we need to get to be able to afford the cost of living that is happening right now when we are displaced and can't afford it.
1:58:40
We're from rent stabilized buildings.
1:58:42
And we're forced into this entity that we didn't ask to be here today.
1:58:46
But we're here.
1:58:47
And everybody needs to be talking to each other so that we can get the right type of help that we need because we're not getting it.
1:58:55
Thank you.
1:58:56
Thank you.