Heating system fails at Waynesburg House
WAYNESBURG – With temperatures dipping below zero overnight Wednesday, 15 residents of Waynesburg House at 75 W. Lincoln St., a low-income apartment complex for seniors and persons with disabilities, found themselves without heat to their apartments. The building, formerly an elementary school in Central Greene School District, was renovated in the early 1990s to provide 30 plus-single bedroom units.
A resident attending a mental health program Wednesday alerted someone of the problem. Several local agencies were notified and began working with the property management company, Stanford Management, LLC, of Portland, Maine, to address the issue. This was the second time in five weeks the Waynesburg House heating system had problems, according to Stacy Stroman, senior services director of Community Action Southwest.
“We were really concerned last night (with the falling temperatures),” Stroman said by phone late Thursday. “We talked to the property management company and asked, ‘What are you going to do for these people?'”
Stroman said Red Cross was contacted Wednesday evening to help affected residents. Initially, it was thought there would be an option to temporarily place them in a hotel. Seven of the 15 indicated they would make the move. However, there were no hotel rooms available nearby. Instead, Red Cross opened a shelter in First Baptist Church on West High Street. Stroman said only one of the residents opted to go to the shelter Wednesday evening.
Cots were set up in the lobby for any of the remaining 14 residents who found it necessary to seek a warmer area for the night. Stroman said she was unaware if any chose to use them.
Working with the property manager, Cindy Trumble, throughout the day Thursday, Greene County Emergency Management, Community Action Southwest, Greene County Human Services, Area Agency on the Aging and others with clients in placement at Waynesburg House, came up with a temporary solution.
Stroman said Trumble acquired and distributed space heaters to apartments that lacked heat. Some of those residents were not home at the time of distribution, but Stroman said Trumble assured her she would make contact with them and make sure they received space heaters.
Additionally, Stroman was advised several older windows where cold air was leaking into the facility were replaced Thursday. This was a second round of window replacement, she said, noting some of the windows were replaced in November when the first issue with heat in the building occurred.
Asked if she knew when the heating issue would be fixed, Stroman said, “Initially, it was Monday but this afternoon they (the management company) said Combustion Services can start the repairs tomorrow (Friday).”
Combustion Services and Equipment Company of Pittsburgh worked on the heating system in November. Stroman said she was not sure what the problem was but believed it had something to do with coils.
She credited all of the agencies for working together to help come up with options to keep residents safe and warm.
“I can honestly say we have good resources here and we all work together,” she said.
Stanford Management owns and operates the Waynesburg House in Greene County and the Brownsville House in Fayette County.