Sherae Honeycutt

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Relief for residents at Gabriel Towers, after waiting for weeks. 

Around 4 p.m. Wednesday their air conditioning came back on. While residents are relieved for now they hope the air stays on, and warn there’s more that needs to be done. 

“Thank God we got it on, and hopefully it stays on,” resident, Darrin White said. 

Residents at the complex went for more than three weeks without steady air-conditioning in high temperatures.  

“Hopefully it stays on this time. You know, but who knows,” White said. “We’ve still got a bunch of issues down here that need to be resolved, and we feel like management is not taking care of us whatsoever.” 

• KC apartment tenants fed up after going three weeks without air conditioning

Millenia Housing Management, who owns Gabriel Towers, said a part had to be manufactured for the broken unit. They say it took so long because there were difficulties along the way to get it fixed.

Residents say there’s a lot that needs to be fixed in the building beyond an air conditioner. 

“It’s horrible. Horrible conditions, and they won’t fix nothing,” resident, James Stone said. “The last thing with this air we couldn’t deal with. We had to stand up and try to get something done about it. There’s mold behind the wall. Water damage in the laundry facilities. The trash not being emptied when it should be. So, it’s a horrible stench in there especially from the weather being hot like that.” 

Murray Woodard II says he passed by the complex on Monday and had to get something done. 

“I called the management company, and then I went to facebook and challenged as many people as I could to help,” Woodard said. 

People did step up. Bringing cooling busses, lunch for residents, water, and KC Tenants came to help them organize a renters union to help start change. 

“It’s frustrating and upsetting, because I think most communities have a segment of their community that is invisible, and I think only something like this could happen to individuals like that,” Woodard said. 

Mid-way through the day a Millenia service coordinator was fired.

She told FOX4 as she was leaving the property it was because she was trying to get problems fixed in the building. The residents say they are standing behind her. 

“She said because she was helping us, and that’s why they asked her to leave,” Stone said. “We’re in support of her, and we’re going to do what we can to make sure something gets done about it.” 

Millenia Housing Management responded to FOX4’s request about the air conditioner, but did not address the termination of their employee.