MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Health and safety are key this week as parts of the Mid-South continue to stay hot. For residents in a Southeast Memphis apartment complex, staying healthy is on the line as the building has no air conditioning.
The Champaign Place Apartments used to be a hotel. Like most hotels, you cannot just open the window. Residents have been sitting outside in their cars just to keep cool after they said the air conditioning has been out for more than a week.
“It’s unbearably hot here,” said a Champaign Place resident.
People living in the complex Cherry Road in southeast Memphis said they have been without air conditioning for days. Some even said weeks.
“It’s people here that have disabilities, not just older people. There are kids here who have disabilities,” said a resident.
Earlier this week, Memphis Fire said they came to the apartments for two people suffering from heart attacks. One person was found dead. We do not know what caused the cardiac arrests, but residents said the person who died was bed-ridden.
Residents did not want to be seen on camera or be identified, but some told us for the past 10 years, the air goes out each summer.
“They said they were going to get it fixed and needed a new air conditioning unit to come in,” said a resident. “This is a living apartment or high rise or towers. They should have backup units … My daughter was supposed to start school. She couldn’t start. It’s too hot. You can’t sleep … If the oxygen tank gets too hot, it’ll blow up. So, I brought my oxygen tank to my vehicle.”
We were able to get a look inside. All exit doors were open and window A/C units were placed at residents’ front doors.
“A fan is for ventilation. You don’t have ventilation if you can’t roll the windows up. So, what are you bringing fans for? To circulate hot air?” asked a resident.
We reached out to Maria Hernandez, the property manager. She said the A/C should be fixed by the end of Wednesday.
“We’re keeping an eye on the elderly people. We’re providing them with cold water. We’re knocking on their doors making sure that they’re fine,” said Hernandez.
She also said they moved some elderly residents into their other building next door, which has some upgraded rooms and A/C.
Meanwhile, residents said this speaks to an even larger problem with the City of Memphis and residents feeling ignored.
“They don’t invest their money into the city. How do I know that? Because of this problem right here. It shouldn’t take for people to have to call code enforcement or the news channels for things to get fixed,” said a resident.
The City of Memphis sent Code Enforcement out to inspect the property. They determined that several units did not have working air conditioning. The property owners were issued notices of violation that must be corrected by Friday, Aug. 25. The City said if the property owners fails to correct the problem, a summons will be issued to appear in Shelby County Environmental Court.