Community members rallied before a Hartford City Council meeting to support a group of tenants who still can’t return to their homes in the Concord Hills Apartments.
“For me personally, it's hard because I just got back to work. I was on maternity leave. It’s just me. I’m a single mom. I don’t really have family to help me,” Destiny Rivera, of Hartford, said.
Rivera is among the 23 families staying in temporary housing as they wait for repairs to be done, but they fear the hotel stays will end in about two weeks.
On Monday, the council put off a proposal that would confirm the city would continue providing the emergency housing if work didn’t finish on time.
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“I feel very disappointed. Defeated. I don't really know how to feel. I'm always the type of person to try to, like, look on the positive, try to look at it as like a blessing in disguise,” Rivera said.
Following the fire more than three months ago, the city has taken actions including helping residents find new places and offering money to pay for a deposit.
A councilor says the city recently got the landlord to agree to do their best to get the repairs done by December 10th.
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“On Friday I went by the building about midday. I don't see any work trucks. I didn't hear any work being done. Later, the mayor said he thought there was one electrician in there,” Josh Michtom, WF – Hartford City Councilman, said.
While people listened to the virtual meeting, other councilors said they wanted to give the repair process more time to play out and reassured residents they would have somewhere to stay, but some believe the city needs to do more and are scrambling to find a new home.
“I'm not even thinking about the holidays right now. Like I didn’t care for Thanksgiving, didn't care for Halloween, like Christmas is just whatever. The only thing I wish and hope for is that I'm in my own place,” Rivera said.
We reached out to an attorney for the apartment complex, but have not yet heard back.
