TAMPA, Fla. — It’s been days since people living in a 55+ community lost power to their apartments.

Now, officials from the complex say they’re going to have to wait even longer to have power fully restored.

What You Need To Know

  • Residents at the J.L. Young Apartments in Tampa have been experiencing little to no power for days

  • Officials with the Tampa Housing Authority, which manages the complex, say there is an underground wiring issue, but they’re still waiting for replacement wires

  • The concern grows for residents as days get hotter, and for those who rely on electrical equipment for health purposes

  • Officials said that they expect the replacement wires to arrive on Thursday

The Tampa Housing Authority manages the J.L. Young Apartments in Tampa.

Residents like John Reeves said they never imagined they would be living in senior living apartments with little to no power. He’s lived in the complex for over a decade.

"We gotta suffer, suffer, suffer," he said. "And there’s people in here that can’t breathe — on a breathing machine — and you see me, I’m messed all up."

The 80-year-old said he’s finishing up cancer treatments and uses a walker to get around. The elevator near his fourth-floor apartment is being run by a generator. Downstairs in the common area is one of the few places he says he can find peace and air conditioning.

“It’s rough. I had to go take a shower at my friend’s house and you see me, I can’t hardly walk," he said. "It was rough. It’s rough, any time you can’t take a shower, you can’t cook."

Officials there say they realized there was a problem with their underground wiring last Friday. They were able to get at least one power outlet working inside of affected apartments, but that brings very little comfort to residents like Frank Steadman, who says he remembers when he lost power last Thursday.

“I’m looking at TV, because I had to get ready for dialysis, and all of a sudden, the lights just blinked off," he said. "I said, 'Well, we have that sometimes around here.' But it never came back on."

It’s hard to miss the signs on the doors that say "Oxygen in use," or the notices that were placed on the doors of apartments, updating residents.

Housing authority officials said they’re still waiting for the replacement wires to arrive so they can fix the problem once and for all.

Tampa Housing Authority released a statement in regards to the issue:

“On Friday, April 11, the Tampa Housing Authority’s property management team at J.L. Young Apartments identified a malfunction in several power outlets located in the common areas of the community. A thorough inspection revealed that the issue stemmed from an underground wiring failure, impacting 168 of the 450 residential units on the property.

Upon discovery, our team acted immediately to ensure every impacted unit retained partial power that same day. Residents were provided enough power to operate essential appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioning. At least one functioning outlet was secured in each apartment, and extension cords were promptly distributed to residents who required them.

Replacement cables are in transit and expected to arrive this week. Full system restoration will commence as soon as materials are received, and we anticipate resolving the issue as swiftly as possible.

In the interim, our team continues to work around the clock. Portable air conditioning units have been deployed to the 20 units experiencing cooling issues to ensure resident comfort. Additionally, we are proud to partner with Feeding Tampa Bay to provide hot meals daily for those affected.

Our highest priority remains the safety, dignity, and well-being of our residents. We appreciate the community’s support and patience as we work diligently to complete these repairs.”

Officials said that they expect the underground wiring they are waiting for to arrive on Thursday. After that, work will begin.