This story was edited to correct an inaccuracy.
Displaced residents of the Cottage Avenue and Park Avenue apartments are slowly starting to be rehoused, according to Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard.
A previous version of this story stated the City of Mount Vernon announced that the temporary Holmes School shelter would close at 2 p.m. Wednesday. A spokesperson for the city has since said the shelter will remain open until further notice.
102 families affected by Cottage Avenue fire
Patterson-Howard said the American Red Cross and the Westchester Department of Social Services are assisting the 229 residents who have lost their homes in relocating to new apartments in the city, including providing first-month’s rent, security deposits and other renters’ expenses.
Overall, 102 families were affected by the fire, including 43 children, 164 adults, 22 seniors and 27 pets.
“These families lost their deep sense of security in the blink of an eye and the community was shook. These are our neighbors, these are people many of us have gone to school with, some of the elders who have taught and raised us,” said Patterson-Howard in a Monday press conference. “But regardless of whether we’ve known them for 50 years or for 50 hours, our heart and souls went out to this tragedy.”
In the first few days of the crisis, Patterson-Howard said 40 families were staying in the Holmes Elementary shelter. By Sunday, that number had gone down to 32 families.
Aside from assistance in relocation, community and government donations have provided over $15,000 in gift cards to affected residents.
“We went from seeing just the clothes on their backs to cots surrounded by clothes and donations, which has allowed people to go back to school, go back to work and regain a certain level of dignity,” Patterson-Howard said in the press conference.
Patterson-Howard said people who are looking to help donate can still provide assistance with gift card donations of $20, $50 and $100 through The Friends of Mount Vernon Arts Recreation and Youth Programs.
Cards and other monetary donations can be dropped off at the Mayor’s Office at 1 Roosevelt Square, Suite 107, and the Mount Vernon Police Department at 2 Det. Christopher Ridley Way.
For more information on how to donate, contact 914-665-2420 or email cityhelp@mountvernonny.gov.
(This story was updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Cottage Avenue and Park Avenue residents beginning to be rehoused
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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