Detroit family stranded without heat during holidays
DETROIT (FOX 2) - For one Detroit family, the holiday season hasn't been very merry or bright.
Instead, Kareem Henderson and his family have struggled to just stay warm. Simple tasks like cooking and cleaning have been made all the more challenging by a lack of heat inside their home.
"Me and my family, we just trying to seek help. We don’t have no hot water. No heat," said Henderson.
The issues the family have faced started more than a year ago when the home they lived in caught fire. The blaze left them homeless and in need of emergency housing. They eventually spent almost 11 months in a shelter.
Henderson only makes $12 an hour. With limited savings, his options for providing for his kids is limited.
There was hope that moving into a new home would help them get back onto stable footing. But the past week has proven that not to be the case.
The family has been without warmth at the Redford Manor South apartments in Detroit for a week.
"All my food is spoiled. It’s gone bad. I done came out of over $200 just paying for food for me and my family just trying to provide," said Henderson.
Mt. Clemens woman displaced by house explosion now living in apartment riddled with problems
It's been a nightmare year for Joanie Dickerson, who moved into an apartment after a house explosion damaged her townhouse. Her current residence has a broken kitchen that's missing a wall.
Fortunately, the family still has electricity. Henderson's sister also gave them a space heater to keep warm - but with temperatures falling below freezing overnight, it can get cold.
"The kids, they’ll say ‘it’s cold.’ I say ‘let’s wrap up. Put a blanket on. Put a jacket on. Put two jackets on.," he said.
The property manager hasn't responded to Henderson's calls. Requests for a maintenance official have gone unanswered.