Seniors who survived a fire brought a firestorm to Houston City Hall Tuesday.

They’ve been displaced from their homes and most of their personal belongings at the Bellerive apartments since a fire there last November.

Last week, the displaced residents said they wanted their things back, but they just can’t afford the $3,400 price. That’s what the Houston Housing Authority says it will cost to clean each of the estimated 61 contaminated units.

“As you know, contents are not covered by the landlord, and the Housing Authority is the landlord,” Horace Allison of the Housing Authority said.

“If they don’t want to clean it, let us get our equipment out. That’s all we’re asking,” tenant Fred Anderson said.

In the end, Mayor Bill White gave residents a sign that they might be getting the help they’re looking for soon.

“I just think in a free country, there ought to be a good reason to prevent someone from getting their property,” he said.

Councilmembers were discussing whether to hold a special staff meeting to try to come up with a solution that will both protect the city and meet the tenants’ concerns.

One option is having the tenants sign some sort of waiver before retrieving their things.