Family with young infant without heat for 5 days

Providence resident describes conditions as "unacceptable"

PROVIDENCE, RI –

Going on day 5 without heat, Providence resident Mark Pope says he’s been boiling hot water on the stove to try and keep his family, including a 2-month-old child, warm.

According to Pope, property managers at One Neighborhood Builders have known for the past year the family’s water heater was on its last legs. “They’ve been told they had to replace it for the past year, and haven’t replaced it,” says Pope.

Just days before Saturday’s historic blizzard, the heater went out again. Technicians once more reminded the family the heater needed to be replaced – yet management at One Neighborhood Builders say a part shortage prevented them from doing so.

“We rode out the storm all weekend. No heat, no hot water, basically boiling water on the stove just to keep the house warm. We have space heaters throughout the house..it’s unacceptable,” says Pope.

As consolation, they instead offered the family a complimentary hotel stay – yet when the family arrived, they learned the room was never paid for. “They said they was gonna put us in a hotel, had us pack up all our stuff. We get to the hotel, room’s not paid for, then we get no responses from nobody.”

A spokesperson for One Neighborhood Builders, Milton Baxter, says he and his staff had “no idea” the residents couldn’t check in, and had been the ones to offer space heaters to the family until they could replace the hot water heater and are taking ownership of the situation. “At the end of the day, we’re the owner, so it’s our responsibility.”

While Pope and his family are still without heat or hot water, Baxter confirmed to ABC6 News that a new hot water heater will be delivered for the family on Tuesday.