HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – The Concord Hills Tenant Union held a meeting Wednesday at Hartford City Hall to demand action from the landlord of the Concord Hills apartment complex, which has been at the center of a housing crisis since a fire displaced dozens of people. of tenants in August.
The fire, which occurred on Sherbrook Avenue, forced residents from 50 units.
Many of these units were later broken into, further complicating the situation.
Tenants have been living in hotels since the fire, but their temporary housing will soon end, leaving many unsure of when they will be able to return home.
The tenants are calling on Greyhill Group, the property’s landlord, to expedite repairs and allow city inspectors access to the units in need of restoration.
According to Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, the landlord must resume construction or allow the city to intervene.
“Greyhill Group must either start construction or open its doors and let the city in. We are here today calling on Greyhill Group and imploring you not to hinder the City’s efforts to refurbish these twenty-seven units and get residents back to safety. housing before we enter December,” Mayor Arulampalam said.
Tenants are also calling for an expansion of their temporary housing and greater accountability from the New York-based Greyhill Group, which they say has failed to keep promises on repairs.
“We are a little disappointed and reluctant to have to stand outside City Hall again, but we have a group of people who need to be able to move back into the homes where in many cases they have been faithfully paying the rent for years and Greyhill has had a difficult time and seems to try to run out the clock,” said Luke Melonakos-Harrison, vice president of the Connecticut Tenants Union.
The city has told residents to vacate their hotel rooms by December 10, but tenants say necessary repairs have not been completed in the three months since the fire.
In an effort to help, the city of Hartford has offered tenants a $4,000 stipend to help with moving costs and has been working to find comparable housing options.
However, city officials have stressed that they cannot allow people to stay in hotels indefinitely.
Despite repeated attempts by reporters to reach Greyhill Group for comment, there has been no response.
The city also offered to cover the remaining $50,000 in construction costs needed to complete the repairs, but Greyhill Group reportedly rejected the offer unless the city agrees to release a lien on the property.
As the deadline for hotel accommodation approaches, tenants are becoming increasingly frustrated and demanding quick action from both the landlord and the city to ensure they have safe and stable housing in the future.
Channel 3 has contacted the Greyhill Group for comment but has not yet heard back.
The Concord Hills Tenant Union will hold a meeting Wednesday at Hartford City Hall to demand action from the landlord of the Concord Hills apartment complex,
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