Displaced residents from San Francisco Tenderloin fire demand action
Residents displaced in San Francisco fire demand help
Tenants of a San Francisco apartment building that went up in flames are blaming the building's owner for emotional, physical and financial distress. Now, residents of 50 Golden Gate Avenue are demanding solutions.
SAN FRANCISCO - Residents displaced by a fire in San Francisco's Tenderloin descended on City Hall on Tuesday to demand action by the city and building management company.
About six dozen residents were left homeless after a three-alarm fire broke out at 50 Golden Gate Ave. at about 3 a.m. Dec. 12. Residents say weeks later, some of them don't have temporary housing and are battling red tape.
"We want the victims of this fire, their voices to be heard," said Gardenia Zuniga, a former tenant who lent support to tenants. "This is a huge wake-up call for San Francisco, that there needs to be prompt action, and we need solutions and not just promises."
Predawn fire went to three alarms
What we know:
Surveillance video shows an explosion and flash of light on the sixth floor of the rent-controlled building at the time the fire broke out.
Tenants say they believe an electric scooter is to blame. A San Francisco Fire Department said Tuesday that the cause of the three-alarm fire is still under investigation.
Anger at building management company
What they're saying:
Residents say they're upset at the Mosser Company, which manages the building.
"One of the main points that's being overlooked in this is the coercive and retaliatory tactics of Mosser, the building ownership," said Hugh Leeman, a tenant for 20 years.
He said Mosser has given displaced residents 24-hour deadlines to sign contracts for temporary apartments - but with a catch.
"That contract is you release Mosser from all legal liability in signing this, in order to get into housing. You also release us from all legal liability that may arise in the future," Leeman said.
Another tenant, Julie Tran said, "To ask tenants to respond within 24 hours to sign a document seems like quite a disparity where if we're hearing back from Mosser at all, it's taken weeks, or days."
Through tears, tenant Maria Orozco said, "I mean, there's no answer. It's, you know, ridiculous. Right now, I'm scared for myself, you know? I don't have a house."
Tenants advocates did say Mosser has agreed to pay December's rent and provide 24-7 security because of thefts from units. Mosser did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday by KTVU.
"They have every right to be frustrated and angry. This is a situation that no family or resident in San Francisco should have to deal with," said Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who met with residents on Tuesday at City Hall.
Mahmood said the city is helping residents get housing subsidies, rental assistance and clothing and furniture replacements.
"Right now, our focus is on making sure the residents are getting the housing subsidies they need as fast as possible, the services they need as fast as possible, that's what we've been coordinating, and we will continue to hold accountability," Mahmood said.
Henry Lee is a KTVU reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: KTVU reporting
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3-alarm fire rips through Tenderloin apartment building, displacing 45
San Francisco firefighters on Friday contained a three-alarm fire that tore through an apartment building in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood, which displaced 45 residents.