Residents in Lynn's Leisure Towers say they've been without air conditioning for nearly a month

CBS News

9 hours ago

Residents at an apartment complex in Lynn say they have been without air conditioning for the month of June. One resident reached out to the Mayor's office and to WBZ-TV for help as a heat wave blasts Massachusetts, sending temperatures into the triple digits.
Elderly left without air conditioning
"At my age, I can't make no promises because I don't know if I'll be awake tomorrow," said Josue Gonzalez, who is a resident of the Leisure Towers apartment complex in Lynn.
The management company for Leisure Towers, Housing Management Resources, said that it caters to the elderly and people with disabilities. Gonzalez said some of his neighbors are in their 90s and are without air conditioning.
"This winter, we went five days without heat because the boiler broke. There is no one doing preventative maintenance," Gonzalez said.
In addition to being an Army veteran, Gonzalez spent 20 years as a maintenance manager for buildings.
"Knowing what I know about this business, it's either incompetence or greed," Gonzalez said.
What happened?
The management company said the chiller for the building broke, and the company will replace it with a $500,000 new one instead of fixing it. The company said it began working on the issue immediately. In a statement, the company said:
"We are aware of the AC chiller outage currently impacting residents at Leisure Towers in Lynn, and we understand how difficult this situation is, especially during the warmer months.
Our team acted immediately upon learning of the issue and is working closely with licensed contractors to restore full service as quickly and safely as possible.
We are also working in partnership with the City of Lynn Health Department and the local building inspector to ensure all repairs meet regulatory standards and resident safety needs.
In the meantime, we have implemented temporary cooling solutions, including portable AC units, access to air-conditioned common areas, and the distribution of bottled water to help residents stay safe and comfortable.
At this stage, we anticipate the system will be operating at approximately 50% capacity by the end of the week, with continued progress until full restoration is achieved.
We remain in regular communication with residents, providing updates and support, and we appreciate their patience and understanding. The comfort and well-being of our residents remain our top priority."
The company said it has given out a dozen air conditioning units to people who requested them, but there are 180 units in the building.
"They say, 'Oh, we have a cooling center downstairs.' Can I sleep there?" Gonzalez said. "One of the most important things is preventative maintenance, so this doesn't happen."
By the end of the week, half of the building is expected to have the air conditioning working. The company hasn't said when the entire building will have relief.