Reps. Espaillat, Torres Lead Congressional Call to Increase Fire Safety Measures in New York City and Nationwide.
Members Pen Letter Urging Appropriations Leadership to Include Measures in FY2022 Budget. NEW YORK, NY --Today, Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Ritchie Torres (NY-15) led a letter calling on House Appropriations leadership to include fire safety measures as they continue to negotiate the FY2022 federal budget. This letter comes in the wake of the fire at Twin Parks in the Bronx that took the lives of 19 people, including 9 children and over 30 people with life-threatening conditions, as well as the recent fires in Philadelphia and Oakland.
“These recent tragedies – throughout New York City and across the nation – make clear the urgent need for increased federal support for our residents to keep themselves and their families safe from these potentially catastrophic events, especially those that could have been prevented and saved countless lives,” said Rep. Espaillat. “New Yorkers feeling safe and secure in their apartments should be a right, not a privilege – regardless of their zip code or socioeconomic status. I’m proud to lead in this effort with Rep. Torres today to ensure that fire hazards and fire risk mitigation are eligible for federal funding.”
“It is no accident that the four worst fires in New York City’s history in the last thirty years have all been in the Bronx. The tragedy in my district at Twin Parks North West only underscores the need for federal action to ensure tenants are safe in their homes no matter their zip code,” said Rep. Torres. “As Congress continues to negotiate the FY22 budget it is essential that fire mitigation solutions are fully funded and accounted for. I am thankful to be joined in these efforts by my Bronx colleague Rep. Espaillat to keep our communities safe and prevent future fires.”
In a single year, fire fighters respond to 1.4 million fires in the United States which can result in thousands of deaths and millions of dollars in property damage. It is imperative that the federal government take the proper steps to ensure that state and local municipalities have resources to mitigate fire risks.
Under the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, the Healthy Homes Program strives to protect families from a litany of safety concerns like mold and asthma. This recommended language would explicitly include fire hazards in this list of concerns which would guarantee that fire risk mitigation efforts would be eligible for resource funding.
In addition to Representatives Espaillat and Torres, this letter was also signed by Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Dwight Evans (PA-5), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-4), Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Nanette D. Barragan (CA-44) and Jerrold Nadler (NY-10).
You can read the full text of the letter HERE and the text of this correspondence below.
Dear Chair DeLauro, Chair Leahy, Ranking Member Granger, and Vice Chairman Shelby:
As you negotiate a final Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Omnibus package, we urge you to support the inclusion of fire safety measures for residential communities.
In a single year, it is estimated that fire departments respond to 1.4 million fires in the United States. Across the country, house fires continue to be a leading cause of death and property loss. In 2020, there were 490,500 residential home fires which resulted in $12.1 billion in damages and the loss of 2,730 lives[1]. Though only a quarter of fires occur in home properties, they cause 74 percent of fire-related deaths. Unfortunately, due to a legacy of racist zoning laws Black people are more likely than other people of other races to die in accidents like fires. Though they only make up 13 percent of the US population, Black Americans represent 25 percent of individuals killed in residential fires across the country[2].
Currently, in the FY22 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill, the committee has recommended that $460 billion be allocated to the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. This money is partially meant to mitigate common health hazards found in homes, though the current language does not explicitly mention fire hazards. That is why we are asking for the following language change be considered during negotiations:
Requested Report Language: Multiple health hazards in homes.—The HHI strives to protect children and their families from housing-related health and safety hazards. Among these health and safety concerns are mold, noise, allergens, asthma, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. Additionally, these safety concerns include fire hazards such as, but not limited to, cooking, smoking, heating, lighting, flammable liquids, and other home hazards that may lead to a fire. The presence of these multiple hazards exacerbates existing health problems and can lead to new physical and psychological ones. The Committee directs the OLHCHH to give homes with multiple hazards priority consideration.
We must be proactive in acknowledging the danger of fire hazards that exists in every home. Thank you for your attention and consideration of this request.
Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. |
No comments:
Post a Comment