Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson provided an update today on the latest regarding recovery efforts for the Twin Parks fire.  

Eight months have passed since the fire that took 17 lives and left dozens of families displaced. Gibson says that of the 150 families living in that building, two-thirds of them were displaced.  

As of today, four families remain without permanent housing as a result of the fire. Gibson says two of the families are set to be placed very soon.  

“I don’t want the deaths of 17 neighbors to be in vain, I want to make sure that we turn pain into purpose,” said Gibson.  

The other two displaced families have had their hotel stays covered through Sept. 21. At that time, they will revisit and see if more time is needed.  

Gibson says the hardest part of the recovery efforts was finding large-scale apartments with space to accommodate the displaced families, and that this has inspired her to standardize procedures for disasters of this nature in the future.  

Renovation work is beginning on the third floor of the Twin Parks building, where the fire started.