MILWAUKEE — A woman desperate to get her heat fixed after ongoing delays reached out to TMJ4 News for help.
Victoria Holmes says she is taking dangerous measures to stay warm in her Milwaukee apartment near North 76th Street and Hadley Avenue.
"I got to try to reach out to somebody because these people don't seem to care," Holmes said.
Holmes says she is tired of the ongoing lack of heat in her home. When TMJ4 arrived, it felt comfortable, but Holmes said that was because her space heater had been running for hours.
"One just burnt out. I bought that one two weeks ago, so another $50 for another space heater. I shouldn't be buying space heaters," she said.
Holmes says she also uses her oven and a heating pad to stay warm overnight, despite knowing it is unsafe.
"You're even nervous with a space heater, but you got to have some kind of heat, right?" she added.
Watch: Woman desperate to get heat fixed reaches out to TMJ4
Holmes says she has reached out to management at Appleton Rental Homes multiple times with no success.
She also contacted the City of Milwaukee's Department of Neighborhood Services, which issued an emergency work order requiring the heat to be fixed by Thursday at noon.
Holmes says the order was issued Monday, but as of more than a day past the deadline, she says nothing has changed.
"I never heard from them the whole time," she said.
When TMJ4 followed up with Appleton Rental Homes for an update, staff would only say they were working on the issue. They did not provide a timeline for a fix.
"My bill is gonna skyrocket," Holmes said. "Unless I call them, I'm not gonna hear from them."
Due to an increase in heat complaints—common during the first cold period of winter—the Department of Neighborhood Services is diverting more inspectors to respond across the city.
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