Novato seniors complain about heating in low-income housing

Seniors at a low-income housing complex in Novato say they are struggling to heat their homes and are questioning the building’s compliance with state heating laws.

Katie Herlevic, a 10-year resident of the Villas at Hamilton, said she has to decide between groceries or heat. Last month, her electric bill for her one-bedroom apartment was $353, and that was with help from various assistance programs.

“It’s very, very, very cold in this apartment,” Herlevic said. “It’s like a frigid air. The heater they have available is really expensive.”

Terry Graham, an eight-year resident, said her home is unbearable in winter.

“From the time that I moved in, I recognized there were problems with the temperatures in this building, but I was actually quite disabled when I moved in and I was happy to have something that was affordable, so I didn’t make a big deal out of it,” Graham said.

“Imagine sitting in the middle of a freezer,” said Ovi Martinez, another resident for nearly 10 years. “It’s not comfortable.”

The complex at 410 S. Palm Drive serves as affordable housing for people aged 55 and older. Historically, the building was officers’ headquarters in the early 1930s. It was renovated in the early 2000s and converted into low-income housing.

State law requires that rooms be able to maintain a minimum temperature of 70 degrees at 3 feet above the floor.

“That would take a lot of heat and we can’t afford it,” said Trudy Licht, a 17-year resident. “I bundle up, and then when I go outside I shed clothes because it’s colder in the apartment.”

Graham wants to have the building tested for compliance with the state law, even if it means paying out of pocket. However, because she is a renter, she is not allowed to, she said. Attempts to get the city’s attention have fallen short, she said.

“We’re kind of at an impasse, which shocks me, but I think the entity responsible for doing the test is the city of Novato,” Graham said. “I’m out of ideas.”

Clare Hartman, the city’s community development director, said that while no official complaint has been filed with the city, its staff was contacted in December by a resident with requests regarding the heating system.

Hartman said the complex is subject to state building codes. Since the building was rehabilitated in 2003, she said it met code set in 2002 when the building permits were filed.

“At that time, the heating system was determined to comply with the then-applicable state code requirements for apartments,” Hartman said. “City staff is unaware of any subsequent circumstances triggering the need to review or upgrade the existing heating system for compliance with currently effective state codes, which were last updated in 2022.”

Hartman said that after the resident contacted the city in December, a code compliance officer contacted the complex’s property manager. The manager told the city the wall heaters in the tenant’s apartment were functional.

Residents said the property manager has been unresponsive or unhelpful in addressing concerns. The property manager, Crystal Elliott, did not respond to requests to comment.

Hartman said Novato does annual inspections of multifamily residences and last inspected the property in October. She said 125 of the 128 apartments in the complex were inspected, and the inspector didn’t see or hear about anyone having heating issues.

“The inspector did observe some residents had space heaters and understood these residents believe it is less expensive to use plug-in heaters rather than the wall heaters in their apartment,” Hartman said.

Residents attribute some of the heating issues to oversized and potentially defective windows, tall ceilings and concrete slab floors. The corner apartments, with more walls exposed to the outside, are especially chilly.

Licht said she stuffs socks and blankets around the windows. Joe Reich, another resident, said he pushed inflatable mattresses up against the windows and installed curtains.

“I’m shivering when I get up in the morning,” Reich said. “It’s constant. The cold is part of life here.”