Senior citizens at an Elkhart apartment building are suffering during this week's heat wave. Their building's air conditioning has yet to be turned on.
One person who lives there was taken to the hospital for heat stroke. And with temperatures in the mid-90's, other residents are angry.
“It’s just miserable,” said resident Sue Francis. “You sleep with fans on, you just literally can’t survive there.”
Harris is one of about 100 residents who live at Stratford Commons, a federally-funded senior apartment building managed by a Boston company called American Properties Team, Inc. Harris and everyone else living there are still waiting for that company to turn on the central air.
“Yesterday was very hot,” said Harris. “It was like probably 98, 99 in my apartment. It finally cooled off to 87 about 5:30 this morning. It’s absolutely miserable. People are sick here. They have gone to their children, they can't stay here.
“It was just miserable,” said resident Richard McCreary. ”I just put a fan on me and I sat in front of it all day long.”
“I do have friends that have their parents here also,” said Chris Kelly, whose mom lives at Stratford Commons. “And yeah, they are very miserable at this time, and a lot of people are starting to feel the pains and anguish of being overheated.”
A letter sent to residents a week ago by the property managers explains how the federal government is cutting what it pays for them to operate the building. Cuts that are forcing the company to reduce expenses and spend less to maintain the apartment building.
Residents say huge fans have been setup in hallways on the first floor and efforts are being made to put fans in as many rooms as possible. Family and relatives are also being encouraged to bring in fans until the problem is straightened out.
“It’s all based on the owners of this building that are in Boston,” said Kelly. “…they are just dragging their feet.
Some residents have heard the air conditioning could be turned on as early as Friday, others are hearing next week.
