Senior apartment complex residents say they've had no heat on Detroit's east side

DETROIT (FOX 2) – The winter blast rocking Metro Detroit is wreaking havoc on seniors in one apartment complex on Detroit’s east side.

Elonda Gist is one of a number of residents living with no heat at the Sheridan Apartments on Jefferson across from Belle Isle.

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FOX 2: “How long has it been with no heat?”

“Since Friday,” she said. “I use the oven, I turn my oven on, I had to do it this morning.”

And this morning, Elonda got out of cold bed with extra blankets, felt the cold air, and got hot water by boiling it on the stove.

Keith “Twin” Blanks is another resident who says he doesn’t have any heat either.

“I called emergency services last night and they still haven’t showed up,” said Blanks.

Blanks, who wants to be president of the complex, called maintenance again.    

FOX 2: “This is management?”

“Yeah this is a voicemail and it’s gonna play out and then go – boop,” Blanks said.

But while FOX 2 was there, a message was heard over the loudspeaker.

“We do have heat and we do have hot water thank you,” a man said overhead.

FOX 2: “Do you believe that?”

“No, come on,” Blanks said.

FOX 2: “Why do you think you made that announcement?”

“Because y’all are here,” said Blanks.

We need to get to the bottom of this. FOX 2 caught up with the maintenance supervisor.

“The heat was never off,” he said. “We have four boilers and we had three running, and we turned on the extra boiler for the colder weather.”

FOX 2: “But they said they had no heat and no hot water?”

“Absolutely not,” he said.

FOX 2: “Twin, come back. He said the heat is back on.”

“It’s not back on. It wasn’t on. He know that,” Blanks said.

“He hasn’t been here all night like you said,” Gist said.

Well, even if the heat wasn’t on – the heat should be on now – especially with the extra boiler.  
    
But not everyone was convinced.
    
“I’m freezing,” said another resident.