Judging by what many, many residents had to say about the stifling heat making life near to impossible for nearly all of the residents at Glendale Towers, there is a need to address residents concerns and health issues.
It is very likely a miracle no one died at Glendale Towers from heat prostration during the recent two week heat wave quite un- like any we have experienced in recent decades.
When the temperature outside hits over 100 degrees, it becomes hotter inside than outside in structures like Glendale Towers, which does not have central air conditioning.
The indifference to the plight of residents in Glendale Towers, many of them elderly, Black, Brown, Hispanic and Haitian, is typical for the Everett Housing Authority.
The tendency among the EHA leadership is to simply say: “There’s really nothing we can do. Sorry.”
Maybe if several residents had died this would have implored the EHA to do something in line with the heat emergency its residents experienced.
Residents are allowed a smaller air conditioner in each of their units as we understand it.
However when the heat reaches excruciating levels, as it did recently, more must be done to look out for the well-being of the residents of Glendale Towers than saying: “There’s nothing we can do.”
There is always something that can be done if there is a will to do it.
The lack of appropriate response by the EHA reveals its inability to handle health and well being emergencies.
It also reveals the necessity for the city to step in, yes, the administration, to pick up and the ball when the housing authority drops it.
Glendale Towers must be made livable for its residents during extreme heatwaves or plans must be made to evacuate the build- ing in order to preserve its residents health and well being.
The recent presentation to the city council of a petition signed by dozens of residents reaching out for assistance led from nothing to nowhere.
The city council sluffed it off.
“Not our business,” seems like what was decided.
Glendale Towers reached a point of becoming a death trap for many of its residents during the extraordinary heat wave.
This fact does not seem to be motivating the mayor, the city council, the EHA or the city Health Department to get involved.
That tells you something about leadership here.
Frankly, the non response was dangerous and humiliating.