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Residents struggle without AC in Ogden senior housing complex

Posted at 10:32 PM, Sep 09, 2014
and last updated 2014-09-10 08:49:52-04

OGDEN, Utah -- About 150 seniors have been living without air conditioning in an Ogden apartment complex since late July.

Fellowship Manor houses people 55 years old and up. Many of them are low income and living with medical issues. Residents say the lack of air has affected their quality of life and in some cases their health.

“It’s totally uncomfortable to the point of frustration and I was crying several times because you didn’t know where to go, where do you go?” said Irene Grueneweld.

“No one seems to have any urgency about what’s going on, six weeks in the middle of summer,” said Daniel Mero.

Mero lives on the 13th floor. He paid more than $400 for his own air conditioner. However, many of these residents are on a fixed income, and can’t afford to do that.

“It’s hard to be comfortable when your apartment is 90 degrees with a fan,” said Marianne Luban.

Many of these tenants have medical issues. Luban takes pills every day for a heart condition.

“I often don’t feel well on account of that on the best of circumstances and not having air conditioning or a way to cool off is just aggravating,” Luban said.

These residents say the worst part is not knowing when the air conditioning will be restored.

“There is no communication between the people living here and the management it’s a one-sided thing,” Grueneweld said.

The apartment is managed by Danville Development. Luban said many of the tenants are intimidated just to approach them about the problem.

“Actually I’ve been shouted by those people that I asked that question and I think it’s just uncalled for,” Luban said.

Danville Development told FOX 13 over the phone that a new air conditioning system should be in place on Wednesday. Residents say they’ll believe it when they feel it.

“We’ve been told before that the air conditioning will be on Wednesday or Tuesday or some other day and it didn’t happen,” Luban said.

Danville Development said their old air conditioning system broke, and it’s been a complicated process installing a new one, which is why it has taken so long.