Lafayette residents say rooms cold
Residents of the Historic Lafayette Apartments in Butler were a little colder the past few days.
They say the building's heating system isn't functioning properly, leaving the temperature of their apartments in the low 60s.
Resident Theresa O'Sullivan, 63, said Monday the room temperature dropped to 60 despite her thermostats being set at 72.
O'Sullivan, who is disabled, said she knew when the heat stopped working properly.
“I would get real cold,” she said.
O'Sullivan's apartment is in the southeast corner of the building on Main Street so it has no additional buffer like the ones in the middle of the building.
By Monday afternoon, the temperature in her apartment reached 63.
“It went up 3 degrees,” O'Sullivan said.
Resident Sharon White, who also uses a wheelchair, agreed the apartments were too cold.
“My cat wouldn't even stay in my bedroom,” White said. “It's that cold.”
She said other residents have been complaining about the conditions inside the building.
“We had one old lady who said she was freezing,” White said.
Resident Ed Nash, 63, another disabled resident, said his apartment's temperature also dropped more than 10 degrees from what was set on the thermostat.
“It was 60,” Nash said.
O'Sullivan and Nash were among the residents who use portable heaters supplied by the authority.
Several other residents complained about being cold. Common rooms in the building had varying temperatures, some colder than others, Monday afternoon.The residents said the Housing Authority of Butler County, which operates the building, is aware of the problem.Interim authority director John Trant could not be reached for comment.Margaret Clawson, authority board chairman, said she had not heard about there being an issue about the temperature.“I am not aware of it,” she said this morning.Clawson said recent renovations to the building may have caused a problem.“It is very possible there are a few things to adjust,” she said.Clawson said she would look into the matter to ensure the building's maintenance crew is aware of the complaints and addressing them.After being contacted by an apartment resident, county Commissioner Jim Eckstein talked Monday with multiple tenants about their concerns.Eckstein said he was concerned about the situation and about what the authority is doing about it.“It makes you wonder,” he said.
