Hartford City Council to consider resolution helping fire victims find proper temporary housing

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — On Monday, Hartford’s City Council will take up a resolution to help dozens of people displaced by a fire more than six weeks ago.

Here’s the bottom line: half of the Concord Hills Apartment complex is still uninhabitable and tenants said they are being forced to stay in motels without kitchens.

This resolution would force the city to comply with a state rule that mandates displaced tenants like these be given a clean living conditions with a place to cook.

That fire happened Aug. 10 at the Concord Hills Apartment on Sherbrooke Avenue.

The fire only directly damaged a couple apartments, but it also damaged the electrical system.

Some 50 families still can’t live in half of that large building. Their landlord has put them up in a motel, but tenants said those rooms have bed bugs and roaches. And, no place to cook food.

They have been getting food assistance from the city and charities. But the Connecticut uniform relocation assistance act requires displaced tenants to be put up in clean housing with kitchen facilities and adequate living space for up to four months.

A city councilman has introduced a resolution for the city to comply with that act. That is scheduled to be discussed at Monday’s city council meeting.

The city also held a resource fair for tenants last Wednesday.

The mayor said either this week or next week many of those tenants will be able to move into new apartment buildings.

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