Hundreds of older and disabled Salt Lake City residents have spent the summer without dependable central air, turning a broken building system into a daily health concern. At New City Plaza, small portable units have done little to cool many apartments as temperatures repeatedly climbed into the triple digits. Now residents are waiting on a temporary fix with no firm date for a permanent repair.
The complex’s main chiller failed this summer, according to FOX 13 News Utah. Housing Connect, which operates the building, provided portable air conditioners and planned to connect a temporary chiller, but the agency said specialized parts needed for the main HVAC system were still pending.
New City Plaza is not a typical apartment building. Housing Connect lists the property as 299 subsidized one-bedroom units serving seniors and residents with disabilities, with utilities included and services intended to help people age in place.
Portable Air Conditioners Aren’t Enough For Many Residents
Shahri Bryant, 63, told FOX 13 she had waited a long time to get into the building, only to decide after two months that she had to move out. Her bedroom unit was not enough to cool the rest of her fourth-floor apartment, while other residents described having little or no usable air throughout the year.
Residents also described worrying that public complaints could put their housing at risk, a fear Housing Connect spokesperson Darin Mano said was not agency policy. Shirley Norton, who said she has heart problems and uses oxygen, told the station that older residents were not being adequately considered.
The HVAC problem did not come out of nowhere. Housing Connect board minutes from last year described the air-conditioning system as working, but “not great,” while also noting unresolved ventilation, cooking-smoke and fire-alarm issues during the building’s warranty period.
A Dangerous Time For A Cooling Failure
The timing is particularly rough for residents who may be more vulnerable to heat exposure. The National Weather Service warned last week that Salt Lake Valley temperatures could reach the lower 100s, with overnight lows in the 70s offering limited relief.
Earlier Hoodline coverage also highlighted the danger for older adults and anyone without reliable air conditioning during the region’s heat wave. In a high-rise filled with seniors and residents with disabilities, a portable bedroom unit is a stopgap—not a substitute for a functioning central system.
Housing Connect says the temporary chiller should improve conditions while it waits for the specialized parts, but residents still do not have a timeline for the permanent HVAC repair. For people who spent months waiting to secure affordable housing, the promise of relief is arriving after a summer of sweating through a problem they did not create.
