No matter how much we prepare for unexpected emergencies, some situations will always catch us off guard. Damage to a home from flood or fire can be particularly devastating even for those who have the ability and means to find alternative shelter where they can recover.  For the elderly and disabled, such an event can be overwhelming.

Unfortunately for one such member of our Yonkers community, securing stable shelter after being stranded in a fire-damaged building is exactly what they had to face in January, 2021. With no one else to turn to, the City of Yonkers asked CLUSTER for assistance to help a tenant at this very traumatic time.

A Fire at 1 Glenwood Ave

Just six days into 2021, an electrical fire at 6:10 pm set a high-rise located at 1 Glenwood Ave ablaze.  The fire spread to multiple units on multiple floors, leaving many families trapped and in danger.

Three residents needed to be rescued by ladder from some of the higher floors as the flames climbed from the third floor where they originated to the twentieth story.  Everyone was able to get out safely but not all residents of Seven Pines Tower were fortunate enough to be in a position where they could find secure shelter to live in while their homes were literally rebuilt.  For one elderly, disabled, and now displaced tenant, the city of Yonkers sought CLUSTER’s help—we immediately organized and made arrangements to assist this individual.

CLUSTER in Action

Even when the smoke cleared, the damage done to 1 Glenwood Ave was hard to comprehend.  Yonkers Municipal Housing Authority contacted our Housing Resource Center Special Projects Coordinator, Jon Shenk, seeking special assistance for this disabled senior citizen who had been stranded on the 14th floor of the fire-damaged property— which was now condemned with no immediate timeline of when tenants could return home.

The City Of Yonkers, Department of Planning and Development, coordinated with us to secure temporary shelter for this citizen.

We arranged a room reservation at a hotel in Yonkers for the tenant and provided him with a means for food and other living expenses during his hotel stay.

Throughout the process, CLUSTER staffed kept our client updated on the status at 1 Glenwood and when tenants would be able to return to their homes.  We acted as a liaison between the resident and Yonkers city officials to ensure that our client knew where he needed to be and when to get repairs to the unit approved and the condemnation order lifted.

Before the end of the month was out, CLUSTER staff was pleased to let this tenant know he was able to return to his home!

All in all, we were able to provide over $2,100 in assistance for this client.  For 19 days and nights this Yonkers resident had the piece of mind that comes with knowing they have a place to lay their head and  3 meals a day.

When he was finally able to return to his apartment, the tenant expressed appreciation for the assistance and remarked, “there’s no place like home!”

A Small Snapshot of Success

This story is but a small slice of the important and varied work performed by CLUSTER’s Housing Resource Center. As was the case here, often times the clients CLUSTER serves have no one else they can ask for help, and we step up to the plate to provide assistance every time.

While COVID-19—and the resulting moratorium on evictions—means that our Housing Resource Center’s focus has shifted away from eviction prevention for the time being, there are plenty of other tenant emergencies just like this one that CLUSTER is called in to handle.  Our staff members work around the clock to educate tenants in Yonkers and Westchester on their housing rights, improve their living conditions, and seek an end to homelessness.

In addition to providing emergency relief for clients like this one, CLUSTER enforces housing codes, educates and trains residents , and provides short-term financial assistance for qualifying households. All of our work is in service of ensuring that every member of our community has a place they can comfortably call home.

CLUSTER’s work is unique; many of the services we provide are both desperately needed, and not offered by any other organization in the area. With the help of our supporters, we are building a brighter tomorrow for our city and county and sending direct aid to those most in need.