JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Exactly two weeks after Action News Jax first reported people living without heat at a Jacksonville senior living center, more people are coming forward about their lack of A/C at the same apartments.
Bob Wunderlich told us he hasn’t had any air conditioning for the last two months, which is a first for him in his 25 years living at the Riverton Tower Senior Center in Arlington.
“No one is happy, and no one should be happy,” Wunderlich said.
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When we first reported this story at the end of last December, Ability Housing, the Jacksonville nonprofit that owns Riverton Tower, said seniors were provided with space heaters to handle the bitter cold temperatures that week.
Wunderlich said he has been using his space heater he received from the apartment manager, but told us it hasn’t been enough to help him stay warm day-to-day. He’s especially worried about this upcoming weekend, when the First Alert Weather Team expects temperatures in some parts of our area to reach the 20s.
“Sometimes it’s hard in the mornings. After a shower, obviously, it’s freezing. I can’t take a floor heater in the bathroom with me,” Wunderlich said.
Wunderlich told us, right now, he is paying $1,200 per month while dealing with a lack of A/C. He said he’s loved living at Riverton Tower, but expects to receive all of the amenities he is paying for.
“For $300 a week, you sort of want heat in the air,” Wunderlich said, “we’re seniors, we need our heat, it’s very simple.”
Action News Jax has received documents from the city of Jacksonville showing that there have been five citations given to Ability Housing in the last two weeks because of conditions at Riverton Tower. Three of those citations were specifically given because of units that lacked A/C.
One of those citations said a woman at the apartment had reported no heat in her apartment since last October. The citation said the building manager had delayed repairs to her A/C unit and offered, instead, to move her into another apartment with an air mattress.
Ability Housing told Action News Jax that a contractor is expected to head to Riverton Tower tomorrow to start making repairs to the building’s HVAC system. The nonprofit said it can’t give an exact timeline but hopes the work will be done quickly, adding that the update has been communicated to people living at the apartments. Ability Housing also said more space heaters are available to residents if needed and that it’s working with people staying there to relocate them for the time being, if they need to do so.
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