Inkster high-rise residents suffer with no a/c in heat wave

INKSTER, Mich. (WJBK) - The heat index during daytime hours is about 100 degrees.

It's oppressive for even the healthiest of people but imagine being elderly in a high rise with no AC. It's what residents in one Inkster apartment complex are dealing with and it's been over a week without air.

"I can't tell you the degrees but I know it's hotter than it should be," said one resident.

"I came down from one of my neighbor's house and his house was just as hot as mine," said Melissa Davis, a resident. "And his house was maybe what? 92 degrees."

Welcome to Thompson Tower in Inkster, a 300-unit building that disabled people, the elderly and young kids call home.

"It is hot as heck," said Ebony Johnson.

And a hot box.

"We just want the problem to be addressed," said Melissa. "That's all."

They say the tower's air conditioning has been out for roughly a week. Heat in their apartments is unbearable and there's no word when it will be fixed.

"When I get upstairs I've got to take my grandbabies naked," said resident Benita Cox. See, I'm sweating already."

FOX 2 called the front office Tuesday afternoon, but they refused to comment about the lack of air conditioning there. We then called the property management company, Independent Management Services, and left a message with no response.

FOX 2: "Why do they think they can allow people to live like this?"

"Because they have people afraid to speak," Cox said. “They think they're going to get evicted."

"We don't want to get (kicked) out because we don't have anywhere to go," Davis said.

FOX 2 talked with tenants here back in July about not having any a/c during that heatwave. Independent management told us they would have the air back on in a matter of hours. 

What happened between then and now is anyone's guess. What's clear though, is how people here feel burnt out.