Department of Housing Preservation and Development assists 34 families displaced by Morris Heights collapse

Residents were able to grab some belongings while the DOB continued to work on the building.

Matt Trapani and Valerie Ryan

Dec 16, 2023, 11:18 PM

Updated 370 days ago

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City officials continue to investigate why a residential building in Morris Heights collapsed earlier this week.
More than 170 residents at 1915 Billingsley Terrace became homeless on Monday when a portion of their building collapsed.
City agencies report the building had over 100 violations dating back to 2019 --over a dozen of those were in November.
The Department of Buildings announced they have suspended the engineer who was in charge of inspecting this building back in June. They said that he misdiagnosed a load-bearing column for a decorative one. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation.
The DOB commissioner said in a statement the engineer failed to recognize a clearly structural column as such -- and he can no longer be out there making assessments of the structural integrity of exterior walls of New York City buildings.
The Department of Housing Preservation and Development says they've helped 34 families find emergency housing. Residents were able to grab some belongings while the DOB continued to work on the building.