Vulnerable residents say they were left alone to fend off heat wave

We heard from people in affordable housing and assisted living who were left alone—without air conditioning—during the deadly heat wave. Maggie Vespa reports.

[sli-fox]

I bought my parents an AC for Christmas knowing how hot Portland gets. Didn’t think it was going to get this hot, but I’m so glad I was forward thinking for them.

[meowyimeow]

Please check on your elderly and vulnerable neighbors. Don’t assume someone else has done so.

[thatstupiddawg]

Im glad I moved out of my apartment. It's not worth paying if I don't even have air conditioner or barley even heat. Landlords don't care! They jus twant money! I'm crying

[_AA]

Just Wow!.... The Holgate House gets funding from the state of Oregon and the best they could do, was to install a portable AC in the "Trash Area" and then tell their tenants to go sit there and cool off!.... UNACCEPTABLE!!! 😡😡😡

[ellerivendale]

Our apt had scheduled bedbug spraying on the hottest days. They turned off cooling to floors for 3 days. We were told the basement was air conditioned and to wait there among the food spilled all over the floor while the overpowering scent of laundry freshener stunk up the basement. 2 people went off in the ambulance. Then they brought in baby goats to pet to “solve” everything. Welcome to Section 8 crazy circus housing.

[danielleejohnson]

It is really hard for me to get my head around the fact that in this day and age and our current technology and awareness that people can die in their own home because of a heatwave. And the apartment complex having residents going to the garbage room to keep cool? Well hey it's an option but the garbage room really! I don't mean to down that so much cuz it was something but still...

[thatstupiddawg]

All we can do is basically talk to landlords. And stop giving cash

[christopherleveck]

Our AC has been out for a week and a half. We had a brand new central air unit ordered before we even knew a heat wave was coming....
All the chocolate left over from Easter. Melted. It hit 94 INSIDE our house on Monday. 117
We opened the house, every single window and door, and ran 6 big fans all day and all night.
Tuesday morning it was still 82 INSIDE....

[ofmindsoul]

Why is it the landlords responsibility to do anymore then they did? Landlords provide housing, they aren’t responsible for everything a person needs to survive. If those folks moved in knowing it had no A/C it’s on them. Period.

[wordsunheard]

Not even mentioning those vulnerable people who make a repair request to fix something dangerous, only to be retaliated against with an eviction notice and harassment. .. some crooked evil landlords out there prefer ruining lives and making money, and will find another desperate person to take advantage of again.

[christopherray]

If the housing you provide is unsafe then you as the landlord are responsible.

[chuckruckus]

It’s like how’d my Grandparents SURVIVE Bronx NYC 1920’s - 1950? HOW? How’d they survive?
My god we sad now

[reginaromsey]

Holgate house with no air conditioning or fans. I saw fans being given out. People were being contacted. Did Debra reach out for help for her residents? Having been born and raised in Eastern Oregon with no air conditioning in the 1950’s and 60’s it never occurred to me I would need air conditioning in Oregon. It got hot, we used fans. When I returned to Portland in 1991 and bought a car I smeared at the thought of needing air conditioning. I was home in Oregon where the rain took care of the grass and the temps only got hot occasionally. As the years have gone by it seems to have gotten hotter longer, less rain in the summer. Now I have a car with air conditioning and I replaced the multiple fans with air conditioning units. I don’t understand the lack of fans in people.’s homes. This isn’t the first heat, we have uncomfortable heat every summer. Fans are cheap, or if someone reaches out, either themselves, or friends or neighbors, someone, including myself will help.

[Willa-MUTTDogTraining]

Let's not forget we need to consider the governor's paycheck needs to stay steady at just over $436, 000.00 a year, so there's just no room for budgeting in a central ac unit for the poor.

[mongolshonny]

My country always 50c+ i eat broccoli and aloë Vera every day i can stay 6 hours in full sun

[thatstupiddawg]

Yes. Because people are people and if the world ended today same thing would happen. What u think people are nice! Well wake up

[Willa-MUTTDogTraining]

As of 2020, Kate Brown’s net worth is estimated at around $200 Million USD.