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'I'm Gonna End Up Dying': Senior Citizens Without Air Conditioning At Aliquippa Apartment Building

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ALIQUIPPA (KDKA) -- Several residents were sitting outside the main entrance when KDKA-TV pulled up to Towne Tower Apartments on Franklin Avenue in Aliquippa. They were sitting outside to cool off. Dozens of people that live there have health problems and a good portion are senior citizens.

Marsha Scruggs has congestive heart failure and the heat is wearing on her.

"I got two fans. It don't help," said Marsha Scruggs.

Meghan Schiller's Report:

Bret Powner moved in a month ago.

"I have multiple sclerosis and the first thing I asked them is if air was included in utilities and they said yes," said Powner.

But when he got inside, he says hot air was blowing through the vents.

"I just can't function without air. I crawl into my tub just to turn cold water on in the shower. I'm gonna end up dying if I don't get air," said Powner.

"We're the ones suffering," said George Henderson.

George Henderson, 76, took KDKA-TV's crews up to his fifth floor apartment to see how warm it really was.

"This is suffocation in a sense on the long term," said Henderson.

Bob Allen's Report:

Henderson had one fan running but it was barely working, so KDKA-TV helped him put together a new one he had sitting in a box.

KDKA-TV's Amy Wadas decided to see how warm it actually was on the fifth floor so she downloaded a free digital temperature app on her iPhone. It said the floor was 82.4 degrees but it felt like 86 degrees.

Management set up a cooling center for residents in the community room providing water, fans and popsicles.

"Just gotta wait. They might take a week," said Berdetta Hannon.

"They knew it was broken last year. Why didn't they get it fixed this year?" said Melissa Tucker.

Two years ago, residents said their landlord didn't turn the air on despite the warm temperatures and the mayor got involved.

KDKA-TV reached out to maintenance. They said they plan on replacing the air conditioning system on Tuesday. Maintenance said it's been broken since Thursday night, but residents said that's not true and it hasn't been working at all this spring.

KDKA-TV also left messages for the property management company and the mayor and is waiting to hear back.

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