Residents gathered at 43-09 47th Ave. on Dec. 20 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the five-alarm fire. Photo: Ramy Mahmoud.
Dec. 30, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards has announced a plan to provide 13 Sunnyside households displaced by a devastating fire in December 2023 with an additional round of six-month temporary housing agreements.
Richards announced the new round of temporary housing agreements on Dec. 20 to mark the one-year anniversary of the five-alarm fire at 43-09 47th Ave. last year, which left hundreds of residents displaced from their homes.
The FDNY said the blaze was caused when a contractor hired by building landlords A&E Real Estate illegally used a blow torch, causing the fire to rip through the six-story residential building and displacing around 250 residents.
In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, 30 impacted households initially accepted a six-month temporary housing agreement from A&E Real Estate, placing them in other residential buildings owned by the firm. Richards secured an additional round of temporary agreements after the original agreements expired in early July, with the additional agreements slated to expire on Jan. 15.
Richards and A&E have now announced a third round of agreements for 13 households displaced by the fire, which are set to run until July 15, 2025.
Richards said the latest agreements provide impacted families, including seniors and those with disabilities, with an additional six months to secure more permanent housing. He noted that more than half of the families who initially accepted temporary lease agreements have now secured permanent housing elsewhere.
“Dozens of Sunnyside families went through an ordeal that no one should ever endure — the loss of their home to a fire just days before the holiday season,” Richards said in a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the fire
In a statement, A&E said it wanted to ensure that extended temporary housing for people impacted by the fire, particularly seniors and those living with disabilities.
A&E faced criticism at an event marking the one-year anniversary of the fire over delays to repair work at the building, with Council Member Julie Won stating that residents deserved a “permanent fix” that guarantees them stability and security.
Photo By Ramy Mahmoud
“250 tenants in Sunnyside lost their homes due to a fire started by A&E Real Estate. A year later, they continue to be bad landlords and have not started construction,” Won said. “Our neighbors lost their homes through no fault of their own and should not have to wait another year out in the cold.”
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez also called on A&E to take action and get tenants back into their apartments.
“Tenants deserve the stability and security of their homes—not the uncertainty of eviction or burdensome rent increases,” Velázquez said.
Displaced residents also carried signs bearing slogans such as “365 Days Too Long” and “A&E: Fix 43-09 47th Ave Now”.
However, A&E blamed its insurance companies for the delays, stating that it is doing everything it can to repair the damage to the building.
“Every day this building sits empty is a loss for us, and a hardship to the families that called it home,” A&E said in a statement. “Since the insurance company took complete control of the rebuilding process, it has slowed to a crawl. We are applying every pressure we can to get this process moving, and have petitioned the New York Supreme Court to step in and resolve these issues.”
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