SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Earlier in August, senior residents in Sacramento who weren’t getting cool air in their apartment units expressed their concerns to ABC10. It’s been two weeks and the air conditioning still isn't fixed.
“That was a Monday, then Tuesday, the very next day they came around and said it was out again,” said Greenfair Apartments resident, Valerie Brown.
When Brown spoke with ABC10 two weeks ago, she was concerned for herself, the other senior residents in her building, and her dogs.
“The upper floors, especially on the sunny side of the building, those people are so miserable," Brown explained. “We’re low-income housing here and we can’t afford to go rent a hotel or motel.”
When asked about the residents' concerns, Greenfair management staff said the air conditioning unit that sits on top of the roof of the impacted tower had overheated. While the common areas and hallways were still getting cool air, the 194 apartment units were not.
With triple-digit temperatures on their way back, caregiver Jennifer Church was worried about the resident she takes care of on the ninth floor.
“She’s 90 years old and she's not able to take care of herself," Church explained. "When she gets hot, she doesn’t understand how to turn on a fan or things like that. When I'm not there, I'm concerned about it."
Several notices that were sent to residents from Greenfair management informed tenants of the issue and encouraged them to stay with family or friends or to occupy the common areas that had A/C.
Greenfair sent a statement to ABC10 concerning Tower II activity that stated: “Portable air conditioners were offered to residents who are considered 'frail', 90+ years of age, or in extremely poor health."
It also stated, “Daily Temperature Checks of hallways, individual units, and dining/cooling areas are conducted a minimum of 2 times/day."
They noted that residents would be notified within the week on the time of arrival of the new air conditioning equipment: "HVAC company advised that they had finally received a response from the chiller equipment manufacturer. The contract was signed, returned and down payment made same day."
In the meantime, Brown said it had been an inconvenience.
"This is ridiculous," Brown said. "I did stay with my sister for a couple of days, but people have their own lives. You can't just go in and disrupt peoples' households."
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