Irvington Lofts is facing legal action from the Marion County Health Department over ongoing issues with heat, which has been a problem for residents for years. The heating and cooling system in the building is currently being replaced at a cost of around $250,000 per building, with the South building expected to be repaired by November 30th. In the meantime, residents are using space heaters to stay warm, which has sparked concerns about fire danger.
The recent outage comes after a two-week power outage that prompted the Marion County Public Health Department to step in and take legal action. While residents affected by the power outage were eventually provided with hotels and received a $300 discount on their November rent, those dealing with the heat outage have not been provided with a reimbursement. Fran Quigley of the Health and Human Rights Clinic at Indiana University McKinney School of Law suggested that resident rights are being violated and they should take action by reaching out to the Marion County Health Department and contacting Indiana Legal Services for assistance.
According to records from the Marion County Health Department, it has issued 9 violations to Irvington Lofts so far this year, 7 of which are heat related. Irvington Lofts management stated that it is working with the health department to address the issue, and in addition to this residents will receive $150 off of their December rent as a repayment for the loss of food. Despite this, residents continue to voice their desire for a permanent solution to recurring heating issues.