CHELSEA — From the outside, it appears the heating system at Broadway Glen Apartments is functioning just fine. As temperatures ‘warmed’ into the 20s Monday, streams of coagulated smoke shot from furnace exhaust pipes at either end of the 120-unit building.
But whatever heat those furnaces generated was lost on some tenants, who tell Boston 25 News they have not had heat or hot water in three days.
Cecelia Viera, a 15-year resident of the building, was forced to layer up in an outfit more suited to a skier.
“The whole building has no heat or hot water,” she said. “The whole thing is freezing.”
In her first-floor apartment, Viera pointed to a pot of boiling water on the stove.
“In the daytime I leave it on and fill it up with water,” she explained. “So the steam warms up the apartment.”
Viera has four blankets on her bed and a small space heater which stays on all day. She’s worried what her electric bill will look like next month.
In the living room, warmish air wafted from a heat register near the ceiling -- despite the fact the thermostat was turned all the way up. Viera said this indicates the basement boiler has not been fixed. Otherwise, she said, hot air would be coming out.
But Property Manager Giovanni Rodriguez tells Boston 25 News the HVAC issue has been addressed and that his team “continues to monitor the situation to ensure all residents have consistent comfort.”
Still, late in the day, tenants continued to report to Boston 25 that, in some cases, they had no comfort. Luis DeJesus, who is paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair, said it’s been a rough couple of days -- and it’s not over.
“I got my heat on all the way and my living room is cold,” he said. “Yeah, the heater works but it’s cold air. I mean, we pay our rent and we deserve better treatment.”
Massachusetts requires landlords to provide heat, though they do not have to pay for it. If a heat ‘outage’ lasts more than 24 hours it is considered a health emergency. Boston 25 put out numerous calls and emails to city officials, but have yet to hear back on what can be done for tenants who insist that, despite the fact management says the heat is on, they’re not feeling it.
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