As North Texas experiences its worst heatwave in years, the city of Dallas on Tuesday ordered an apartment complex where dozens of residents said they have been without air conditioning working properly for weeks. We responded accordingly.
Residents of Rosemont at Meadow Lane said temperatures inside their homes rose dangerously close to triple digits.
“It's hot, very hot. I have children,” Dejanik Savannah said.
Compliance officers and Dallas police were called to the 200-unit apartment complex in response to complaints, and the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center said some residents' air conditioners had not been working properly for weeks.
“Some of these units can get as hot as 95 to 100 degrees. These are two-story units. There are bedrooms on the second floor and living areas on the second floor. Usually the upper floor Since the units are without power, families are gathering in living rooms on pallets to avoid having to go up to their apartment bedrooms to stay as cool as possible, said Mark Melton, board chairman.
Following an investigation that lasted into the afternoon, Code Compliance issued 34 complex warnings for failing to provide adequate air conditioning.
Management at the site declined to comment and referred NBC 5 to a company email.
So far, the request has not been answered.
“So far, the landlord has not promised to resolve this issue immediately,” Melton said.
As they waited for a solution, people living here debated whether to head to a cooling center four miles away or continue to deal with it in the same way for weeks.
“They need to do better in the community,” Ida Mae McKinney said.
The city's cooling center will be open until 11 p.m. Tuesday night at Dallas' Larry Johnson Recreation Center, 3700 Dixon Avenue.
Tenants experiencing similar issues should call 311 to report them.
