ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tensions at a St. Petersburg residence complicated have hit a boiling level between lots of its tenants and administration.
Much of the frustration, in keeping with the oldsters that stay on the complicated, is that the heat is presently not working so many really feel like they’re left in the chilly this vacation season.
For one resident, Stephanie Rapko, she is maintaining her place heat through the use of her oven.
“I put it up high to 500,” she mentioned. “I boiled hot water today to wash my dishes.”
It’s the very last thing she thought she’d have to do that vacation weekend however she says she had no different alternative when she was instructed there was a difficulty together with her residence constructing’s boiler system and that regardless of making an attempt to repair it there can be no heat or hot water.
“I didn’t know what it was going to be,” Rapko, who’s lived in the identical constructing for 9 years, mentioned. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Because it bought fairly chilly in her place, roughly 67 levels, and right down to about 60 in different residences.
“They have nowhere else to go,” Rapko mentioned. “I don’t have anywhere else to go, they don’t have anywhere else to go.”
She, together with quite a few residents we spoke with that have been afraid to go on digital camera for concern of eviction, declare not sufficient is being completed by their complicated, Presbyterian Towers, to assist them keep heat.
“I have friends in the building who are trying to host Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day dinner, and now their plans are ruined,” Rapko mentioned. “They can’t do that because there’s no heat and they have no hot water.”
She says this isn’t the primary time they’ve had this type of downside.
Last week, in keeping with Rapko, they have been without hot water for about three days.
When she bought the discover concerning the lack of heat for the vacations final night time, she determined to achieve out to Bay News 9.
“I am tired of going day by day, wondering if I’m going to have hot water today or if I’m going to have heat today,” she mentioned.
Thankfully, in keeping with Rapko, she will be able to keep at her daughters however she is aware of not the entire residents have that luxurious.
“If I need to stay there I could but other people here don’t have any family at all,” she mentioned.
Bay News 9 reached out to Presbyterian Homes and Housing, the administration firm for Presbyterian Towers.
In a press release, its company relations supervisor mentioned in an e mail, at 11:06 Saturday morning, that:
“The building was built in 1968 and is 210 apartments for low-income seniors, ages 62 and older. Unfortunately, the boiler system had a motherboard malfunction yesterday evening. Staff was on site until after 9pm. Two different contractors were also on site attempting to fix the issue. They both diagnosed the issue as the motherboard needing to be completely replaced. My corporate office staff, along with Presbyterian Towers staff have been working around the clock to find a replacement board, however, it is not immediately available due to the age of the boiler system. A temporary boiler system was also an option, however, the contractor who supplies such things cannot get one to the property and up and running in such a short period of time. At this time, we are offering residents compensation for alternate accommodations should they wish to go to a hotel. We are also in the process of locating temporary space heaters for the building. We hope to have something in place as quickly as possible so that the residents are comfortable in the cold temperatures. I can assure you that the comfort and safety of our residents is our number one priority.”
According to texts despatched from a member of the administration group to a number of residents, individuals who stay in the complicated weren’t notified till roughly an hour after Bay News 9 acquired that assertion that they may very well be reimbursed for lodge lodging and that administration was seeking to buy house heaters.
Despite this, Rapko and many others plan on staying put as a result of they’re on a set revenue and don’t have the funds to spend cash on a lodge on Christmas Eve and then await a reimbursement.