Residents at troubled IN apartments struggling to stay warm

By Camila Fernandez

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    INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Several residents at the Lakeside Pointe at Nora apartments are trying to survive in single-digit temperatures with broken heaters.

The city and the Marion County Public Health Department on Tuesday gave the owners of the complex a week to get things fixed.

Jairo Rodas says his heater has been broken since he moved in about one year ago and that the water is often only cold, making it hard to cook or take a shower. He says he’s called management, but it hasn’t gotten fixed. Now’s he using a portable heater to stay warm.

“Big problem,” Rodas said. It’s a big, big problem.”

Neighbors Iiesha Hardy and Anthony Arnold say they’ve been without warm water for three weeks. Hardy says she has to drive 20 minutes to her mom’s house for hot water. She says a local church has also donated thermoses.

“Your hands … It’s feeling like you have hypothermia. We need help out here. We need hot water,” Hardy said.

“My mom gave me a big pot yesterday to fill up hot water, but I can’t live like that. It’s like, I sleep here and I’ve got to drive down there,” Hardy added.

Arnold says he’s also dealing with a broken oven. He’s reached out to management for help, but they haven’t responded.

“I mean why would you do that? This is our apartment that you’re paying for. Everything that we have to do somewhere else, we’re paying for that here,” Arnold said.

He says he’s emailed the complex twice in eight months and hasn’t gotten a response.

Some residents say they are also dealing with mice and they haven’t gotten the help they need.

Lakeside Pointe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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