The state of New York has set up a $2 million fund for the victims of last week’s fire at the Twin Parks North West apartment building in the Bronx. New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin shared the news during a mass public funeral on Sunday. According to a press release obtained by CNN, the fund will offer those impacted by the fire with case “management services, personal property replacement, and relocation and rental assistance to help address critical household needs.”
“As the Lieutenant Governor of New York State, I stand here on behalf of Governor Kathy Hochul to say ‘we will be with you to be sure that this tragedy never happens again and we will make sure that all of the families — the 15 here, the two who are not here, and all of the families who were impacted by this fire — know that the state will stand up and support,'” Benjamin said, according to CNN.
The state has launched the $2 million fund just days after survivors of the deadly fire filed a $3 billion lawsuit. Plaintiffs Rosa Reyes and Felix Martinez say that they have endured “pain, shock [and] mental anguish” because of the fire along with “severe and permanent personal injuries and/or property damage.” Reyes and Martinez have also accused landlords and city officials of failing to provide the following:
- Safe Fire Escapes
- Operating ‘Steel Doors’
- Functioning Smoke Detectors
The state nor the building’s ownership group have responded to the lawsuit.
