San Francisco Mayor Reassures Fire Victims
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) –- San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee paid a visit this weekend to a burned out apartment building on the outskirts of Chinatown, assuring the displaced residents that the city is behind them.
Most of the units were a total loss at the burned out structure on 920 Montgomery Street, which caught fire early New Year's Day.
Lee said getting the tenants of the affordable housing complex back on their feet is a major priority.
"These units are invaluable and we need these tenants to be occupying them as quickly as possible," Lee said. "And I'm not talking months. That's too long. We really should be talking weeks."
KCBS' Mark Seelig Reports:
But one resident, who lost everything but some clothes in the fire, wasn't sure of Lee's message.
"He didn't say how the city is going to help us," he said. "He said we are trying, we're going to help you. As far as you ask me, I don't understand how."
And others wondered why Lee picked this apartment building to make the announcements.
"It just so happens that this fire was here in Chinatown," Lee said. "I'm going to be very active with each supervisor on this kind of situation."
Lee said it's important to have all of his departments on the same page when dealing with disasters, which is what he's calling for at 920 Montgomery Street.
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