Overview

• Residents at Autumn Ridge Apartments have been without air conditioning since the start of June despite a promised June 1 activation, enduring indoor temperatures as high as 88 degrees.
• The Village of Park Forest on June 20 issued four housing code citations to the property owner, each subject to fines up to $750.
• Officials have established 24-hour cooling centers at the Park Forest Police Department and First Baptist Church to offer respite from the heat.
• On June 21 management signed a proposal with an HVAC contractor to restore cooling systems across the four-building complex, with work slated to begin immediately.
• Tenants paying roughly $1,600 in monthly rent have purchased fans, stocked ice and water and sought alternative housing to mitigate heat-related health risks.