DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit residents living in various apartments say they’ve gone days without heat and hot water following the winter weather this past weekend.
7 Action News has received calls from residents in buildings in the Woodbridge neighborhood, near Detroit's riverfront and River Rouge, and in Roseville.
Residents at Alden Towers say for the last few days they’ve been without heat or hot water in their units. They tell us this has made for a tough few days as Detroit has been battling cold temps and high winds.
"My apartment was so cold this morning I did not want to get up and take a shower. It really affects your lifestyle and creates all kinds of stress," said Kristine Christlieb who has lived at Alden Towers for the last four years. "When you have no heat, you do things that are probably not very safe. Like, for example, I’m opening my oven door, keeping my oven on all day just so I have some heat."
Sonya Sophiyah Cox who also lives in Alden Towers, says her unit has been without heat for the last few days. She says she and other residents have received little correspondence from property managers.
"We keep having these issues over and over again. Then they’re fixed and we have them again. We’re looking for some resolution. We’re looking for some support," said Cox.
Christlieb and Cox say while the heat had returned for some residents Wednesday, some units still don’t have hot water.
"If it were a one-off situation okay hey, I don’t mind being inconvenienced for a few days but it just keeps happening. If it’s not the elevators, it’s the heat. If it’s not the heat, it’s the hot water. Sometimes it’s both," said Christlieb.
Allison Bowen who lives at the Beach Club apartments on Jefferson says her complex has been experiencing the exact same issues. Bowen says her unit has been without hot water since Monday. She says there are also several residents without heat including some senior neighbors.
"It’s going on day three with not really being able to have a hot shower or do laundry or dishes and it’s getting a little difficult," said Bowen. "We have been bundling up big time putting on sweat pants, extra socks, extra blankets. Luckily, we’re on a higher floor so we’re able to maintain a little bit more heat with the windows as well, but we have residents who are on a terrace level who are literally underground right now partially and I can’t imagine how cold it is in there."
7 Action News tried to contact the building managers at Alden Towers for comment but no one was immediately available.
Managers at Beach Club Apartments tell us they’re working diligently and as quickly as possible to handle any emerging issues.
Residents say they’re hopeful the city of Detroit will develop and enforce a body of standards for housing similar to a restaurant ratings system to make sure managers deliver basic needs for tenants in the future.
"At the end of the day it boils down to our human interaction with each other," said Cox."Having some body of standards that the city steps in and ensures we have a place to live and stay and we love it."
The city of Detroit says they have sent inspectors to all of the sites where issues have been reported. They encourage anyone having similar issues to report it.
