Hartford hearing spotlights tenant hardship after fires as council considers relocation ordinance

Hartford councilmembers heard two hours of testimony on Jan. 20 from tenants, attorneys and housing advocates urging the council to adopt an ordinance to provide clear, enforceable relocation assistance for residents displaced by fires and other emergencies.

Supporters — many of them displaced renters who lost homes in fires last year — described lengthy stays in infested or inadequate motels, stolen property, difficulty accessing belongings and repeated delays in city payments. "We lost everything in the blink of an eye," said Ramon, speaking for Juana Mendez, who was displaced in the Oct. 30 fire at 271 Weathersfield Ave. "The city needs to be more efficient so that we can find a clean and safe place to live."

The ordinance, introduced by Councilmember Josh Mitcham and described at the hearing as an amendment to the municipal code, would create a city framework to implement the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act (URAA), set time frames for initial assessments and emergency housing, and establish reporting and accountability measures. Sarah McKnight, a housing attorney with the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, told the council that URAA creates avenues for municipalities to provide defined benefits and to recoup relocation costs from landlords by placing a priority lien. McKnight cited a 2024 appellate decision she named as PPC Realty v. City of Hartford and a Supreme Court decision referenced at the hearing (referred to by the witness as Dukes v. Durante) in support of collectability of those liens even when fault for a fire is not traceable to a landlord.

Tenants described practical barriers to using the city's existing relocation payments. "They gave us a little bit of liquid cash — about $500 to $600 — but it isn't enough," said Ryan Pier, a displaced resident of 271 Witherspoon Ave., adding that the city's security-deposit assistance (cited at the hearing as up to $4,000) requires an acceptance offer from a landlord and that Human Services processing can take one to four weeks, a delay landlords often will not tolerate. Dave Richardson, a displaced resident of 105 Sherbrooke Ave., told the council the $4,000 baseline was set decades ago and that in today's housing market relocation can cost between $10,000 and $15,000.

Advocates also urged standards for temporary housing and access to belongings after a fire. Sarah McKnight said the proposed ordinance would improve access to temporary housing with kitchenettes after two weeks of emergency hotel stays, require landlords to secure premises to prevent looting, and authorize the city to provide security when necessary. Disaster nurse Amanda Chofflette warned that displacement is also a public-health crisis: lost medications, interrupted chronic-care and children missing school are immediate risks of inadequate relocation responses.

Speakers representing tenant organizations — including the Connecticut Tenants Union and advocacy groups working with displaced residents — said the ordinance clarifies responsibilities across city departments, reduces miscommunication, and creates a process that would allow tenants to rebuild more quickly. "This ordinance lays out protocols that could help with that," said Luke Malinakos of the Connecticut Tenants Union, who emphasized that standardized procedures must be paired with political will to ensure implementation.

Council members asked legal and practical questions during the hearing. One council member asked whether relocation benefits can be collected from a landlord when the landlord is not at fault; attorney Sarah McKnight answered that precedent supports collectability of URAA-related priority liens regardless of fault and noted low uptake of renters insurance among tenants. No formal vote occurred at the hearing; the council adjourned after testimony.

The hearing generated multiple specific requests for follow-up, including individual case assistance for tenants whose hotel stays were ending and calls for a review of the relocation payment amount and the city's application and disbursement timelines. The ordinance, if advanced on the council agenda, would move from public hearing to the council's legislative process for possible amendment and adoption.

Next steps: the city council will decide whether to place the ordinance on an upcoming legislative agenda for first-reading consideration and any subsequent votes.