Bushwick tenants displaced by fires fight for their rights

BUSHWICK, Brooklyn (PIX11) -- Following multiple electrical fires, tenants in a Bushwick building were forced to vacate their homes. PIX11's Cory McGinnis spoke with a resident now living in a shelter who shared her fight for tenant rights and the challenges she faces.

Angel Kaba, a former resident of 441 Wilson Ave. in Bushwick, Brooklyn, was forced to leave her home after three electrical fires occurred in the building within two months earlier this year. "I don't wanna get emotional but it's a nightmare," Kaba said, describing her current situation.

Now living in a Harlem shelter with her daughter, Kaba faces significant disruptions to their daily lives. "Me and my daughter we are the only ones who are placed in a shelter because we didn't have any other place to go," she explained. The impact on her routine is substantial, especially when it comes to her daughter's care. "I spend four, five hours picking up my daughter, that alone is tiring," Kaba added.

On Friday, Kaba and other displaced tenants joined local elected officials and advocates for a rally outside the vacated Bushwick building. The tenants demanded an immediate halt to unpermitted renovation work, a comprehensive review of the building's post-fire conditions, and a guaranteed right of return for all displaced residents.

City Council Member Sandy Nurse spoke at the rally, stating, "We're not going to just let you get away with it, and that you might think that tenants are too tired, they're too busy, they don't have enough money to hold you accountable and that is true but we will hold you accountable." Nurse emphasized that they will use every legal resource available to ensure tenants' rights are protected.

Alyssa Sanders, an attorney for Community Resist, highlighted the emotional impact of the situation: "There's the trauma of literally wondering if you're going to be physically safe in the home that you pay for and live in the community that you made for yourself."

For Kaba, the situation has taken a heavy emotional toll, particularly on her daughter. "My daughter is sad, she will cry sometime at night because she wants to go home. What home? She said she doesn't want to be homeless, she wants to have a normal life," Kaba shared.

As the community rallies for accountability and the right of return for displaced residents, Kaba continues to face the daily challenges of her new reality. "As a single mom, I feel so helpless, it's very challenging," she said.

Attempts to contact management and the owners have not been successful.