Cambridge apartment residents stuck without air conditioning during record-setting heat
Some Cambridge Housing Authority residents are stuck in sweltering temperatures with no air conditioning during the heat on Tuesday and Wednesday. The reason residents were given is a combination of old building technology and rigid state laws.
Minoo Abadani lives at the LBJ Apartments on Erie Street in Cambridge. She brought WBZ-TV up to her 12th floor unit on Tuesday as she put groceries away. It was sweltering.
"This is a sauna," she said. "This is not a life."
Cambridge Housing Authority AC issues
On Monday, ahead of anticipated high temperatures, residents of the building received a letter from management which read, in part, "LBJ operates on a two-pipe heating and cooling system, which means the building cannot provide heat and air conditioning at the same time. Massachusetts sanitary code still requires heat service through May 31st, and with temperatures forecasted to drop sharply later this week, CHA cannot yet turn the system over to provide AC."
Instead, the letter offers ice cream and cold water in the air-conditioned lobby. Signs in the hallways encourage residents to keep their windows closed to keep cool air inside.
"I don't need ice cream at this age, I need comfort," Abadani said. The 76-year-old has lived in her apartment for 14 years. She has a small floor fan and a hand fan that don't do much to keep her cool.
WBZ has previously reported on temperature issues during heat waves in the same building, ultimately resulting in the air conditioning being turned on for residents.
With the system as is, there's little that can be done to improve the conditions. On Monday, the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services sent a notice to all local housing authorities in anticipation of the hot weather, easing the state's heating restrictions.
"As of May 18th, 2026, the MA Housing Code Temperature Requirement that rental property owners or managers maintain a minimum temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit is no longer in effect for this year until September 30, 2026, unless otherwise altered. With this determination, the date on which the property owner or manager must provide heat will be amended from June 15th, 2026 to May 18, 2026," the notice read.
Why the AC won't be on in time
But Cambridge Housing Authority says the word came too late to make a difference for residents.
"While the relief issued last night does allow property owners and managers to discontinue heat service earlier than originally required this year, the turnover from heating mode to cooling mode at LBJ takes approximately 2.5 to 3 days to complete and cannot happen immediately," Kevin Braga of CHA said. "That timeline is the operational reality of older two-pipe heating and cooling systems commonly found in high-rise buildings throughout the region and is not unique to LBJ. In practical terms, beginning the turnover process last night would not have resulted in air conditioning being available during today's or tomorrow's heat."
"CHA hopes consideration will be given in the future to allowing additional discretion for property owners operating older two-pipe systems during unpredictable spring shoulder seasons. Unfortunately, under the current framework, that flexibility does not presently exist," Braga added.
Abadani hopes Cambridge Housing Authority can turn away from the old heating and cooling system altogether.
"CHA has the budget. They can change this," she said.
A spokesperson for the state's Health and Human Services office told WBZ there is flexibility to reflect climate change that was implemented in 2023, which gives local Boards of Health, including Cambridge, the authority to adjust the heating season by up to 15 days based on predicted temperatures.
