Residents Forced to Use Ovens for Heat in Flint Apartment Complex

How in the world does this even happen? It’s November in Michigan, temps are dipping into the 20s at night, and somehow, there are still people living without heat in Flint.

Residents at Richert Manor say their apartments have been ice-cold for weeks, despite the Flint Housing Commission stating that the heat was supposed to be turned back on as of October 1. Yeah, they haven’t had heat at all this season. How is that even legal?

One tenant told ABC 12 they’ve been getting the runaround. HUD says one thing, the housing commission says another, and still nothing’s fixed. Meanwhile, people are freezing in their own homes. One resident said they’ve resorted to turning their oven on just to keep warm. It’s extremely dangerous, but honestly, what choice do they have at this point?

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With pressure from the community and the media, you’d think someone would be rushing to fix the problem or at least give residents a straight answer.

I get that sometimes there are maintenance delays or system issues, but come on, it’s Michigan in November. Whether those ovens are gas or electric, people shouldn’t have to risk carbon monoxide poisoning or fires just to stay warm at night. Somebody needs to step up and take responsibility for this.

We did notice today that there was a heating and cooling company parked out front, so hopefully that means heat is finally coming soon for residents. It’s about time, because nobody should be freezing inside their own home in November.