The Legal Aid Society joined Bronx elected officials Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr. (A.D. 80), Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), State Sen. Jamaal Bailey (S.D. 36), and Assemblymember Emérita Torres (A.D. 85), and some of the 250 displaced tenants of 2910 Wallace Avenue from the Allerton section of The Bronx on Thursday, July 10, to demand justice to ensure the affected families can return to their homes, exactly six months after a massive 5-alarm fire ravaged their apartment building in January 2025, injuring eight people.

Yolanda Richardson, a 2910 Wallace tenant, said, “In addition to the timely repairs that we want done so that we can move back into our homes, we must continue to fight for legislation to help fire victims rebuild their lives after they are displaced through no fault of their own.”

 

Richardson continued, “With the current economy, what is considered low-income housing is still unattainable to many residents who are retired, on fixed incomes or not making the annual salaries required for these so called “low-income developments,” making them virtually impossible to get into after being displaced due to a fire.”

 

She concluded, “We hope others will join us as we continue to fight for repairs to our building and legislative change, that affect displaced tenants due to landlord negligence.”

 

Zaccaro, Jr. said in part, “To say that I am outraged would be an understatement. Six months later, many residents are still scattered across the five boroughs in supportive housing separated from family, friends, school, and work. They awaken each day to the hardships that long-term displacement cause while the management company drags its feet and city agencies fail to deliver for hard-working, tax-paying New Yorkers. These victims and others from three additional buildings managed by the same company where fires have occurred have been ignored for far too long. Today, we say enough is enough!”

For his part, Torres later said of the event, “I stood with the residents of 2910 Wallace Ave, displaced by a fire 6 months ago, in calling upon the City of New York to take action against a landlord with a long record of neglect. Bronx families have been victimized by the fire and re-victimized by a broken system that fails to protect them.”

 

Meanwhile, Councilman Kevin Riley (C.D. 12), who was not present at the rally, said of the situation, “Six months have passed since the devastating fire at 2910 Wallace Avenue, and still, too many of our Bronx families remain without answers, without stability, and without a place to call home. This level of neglect is unacceptable, and sadly, not uncommon in communities like ours that face systemic disinvestment and landlord abuse.”

 

He added, “I continue to stand with the residents demanding repairs, accountability, and legislative action to ensure no one is left behind after tragedy. In partnership with my Council colleagues, I’m proud to lead efforts like Resolution 802 to hold negligent landlords accountable. Through policies like this, we’re fighting to make sure landlords, not displaced families or the City, bear the burden when their negligence leads to disaster.”

 

District 14 City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, who is chair of the committee on housing and buildings and was also not present at the rally, but who has had to respond to a number of fires in her own district in recent years, as reported, said, “Negligent landlords must be held accountable, and Ved Parkash is no exception.”

 

She added in part, “Parkash must provide clear updates on the plan to provide safe, dignified housing for displaced tenants. Unfortunately, 2910 Wallace’s story is not unique, which is why the Council is moving legislation to better protect tenants after a fire.”

 

Sanchez, who recently won her Democratic primary, concluded, “Additionally, my bill, the Housing Rescue and Resident Protection Act (Int. 1063), offers another bold solution, reforming the City’s power of municipal foreclosure to transfer ownership of buildings under the worst management after a fair process, to set more NYC buildings on a path to responsible ownership. I stand with all displaced tenants to demand accountability.”

 

During a city council committee hearing on Fire and Emergency Management on April 3, Ann Marie Santiago from NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD) provided an update on the agency’s ongoing efforts regarding the re-housing situation for tenants of 2910 Wallace Avenue, confirming that the building owner was working on asbestos and roof issues, and that HPD was maintaining dialogue with all involved parties on progress in this regard.

 

It was noted that the City was incurring a substantial cost to temporarily house the affected tenants. HPD was asked by the council how long it was considered acceptable to maintain dialogue with the building owner on the required repairs before litigation would commence.

 

An HPD representative said among other factors, it depended on the responsive of the owner, the extent of the damage, whether inspections showed that work was moving forward or not, whether the owner was citing complicating factors like insurance issues, whether the owner had filed with NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) to show that they were moving forward with the work, and how quickly the owner was moving forward with the required work.

 

HPD also confirmed that, as an agency, it did not determine if negligence was a factor in causing the fire and it was not part of the investigation in that regard. Norwood News has reached out to the FDNY for an update on the cause of the fire and will share any feedback we receive.

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson also weighed in on the matter though she was not present at the rally, saying, “In our borough, quality, safe, stable, and dignified housing is not just a right, but a fundamental expectation for every resident and family.” In response to a question from Norwood News, the borough president had referenced the various efforts to support the tenants in the aftermath of the fire during her recent successful election campaign, as reported.

 

She added, “I am proud to stand in solidarity with the Legal Aid Society, housing justice advocates, and every impacted tenant in demanding that the City of New York take immediate emergency action. We need real accountability, urgent repairs, and a firm commitment to ensuring that our landlords can no longer neglect their responsibilities while families are forced to suffer the consequences.”

The Legal Aid Society officials said that since 2023, tenants in three buildings owned by Parkash have been displaced because the buildings have caught fire, including 2910 Wallace Avenue, 1420 Noble Avenue in Soundview, and 735-745 East 242nd Street (where two tenants died).

 

They said that in 2015, Parkash was named the city’s worst landlord by then-Public Advocate Letitia James. They said the history of neglect and wonton disregard of housing laws and regulations has caused hundreds of families to remain displaced without a clear timeline for return.

 

Attempts by Norwood News to reach Ved Parkash by phone for comment were unsuccessful. We are also trying to reach him via an agent and will share any updates we receive.

 

We’ve also reached out to HPD to ask if the allegations of no communication by Parkash on the status of the repairs to the building are true and will share any updates we receive.

 

As reported, NYC Department of Buildings had worked with Animal Care Centers of New York City to help rescue trapped pets in the building after the fire. ACC shared the following link for the ASPCA of fire safety tips for animals.