Reporter: Miyoshi Price
•7/8/2026
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)— Families living at the Landings at East Pointe, a property owned by the Fort Myers Housing Authority, say they've spent months waiting for working air conditioning as Southwest Florida's summer heat continues to intensify.
Several tenants reached out to WINK News, sharing maintenance work orders, photos and videos documenting ongoing air conditioning problems. While each family's experience differs, many say they have repeatedly reported broken or ineffective air conditioning units but have yet to receive a permanent solution.
One of those tenants is Mylissa Beard, who says her family has been relying on a portable air conditioning unit since moving into their apartment in May.
That temporary unit cools only part of the living room, forcing family members to sleep there because the bedrooms remain too hot.
A cooking pan now sits beneath the portable unit to catch the water that continuously drips from it.
"They bring me this thing, and that's what we've had ever since," Beard said. "And ever since then, I've done put in three to four more requests because my son did have a seizure on the third from it being hot in here."
Beard says the heat inside her apartment is more than an inconvenience. Her son, Thomas Baker(17), has epilepsy, while Beard also suffers from asthma. She says the combination of extreme indoor temperatures and limited airflow has made everyday life increasingly difficult.
"It's not fair to my one-year-old either," Beard said. "And myy son, Thomas is an epileptic. The heat isn't good for him. I have asthma. It's not good for my asthma either. We have to have fans in the house because there is no circulation of air in here. The time I turn on the stove, it's like we're in hell because it's so hot in here that this AC doesn't do anything."
Baker says he has experienced firsthand how dangerous the heat can become.
"Being an epileptic... it's always been from being in the heat or stress," Baker said.
He recently suffered a seizure inside the apartment.
"I fell, I hit my head on the ground, and it's just scary because if my mom wasn't here, I could have died behind no AC."
Because the portable air conditioner only cools one section of the apartment, Baker says he sleeps in the living room every night.
"I have to sleep in the living room because my house doesn't have no AC, and so I have to sleep in front of a portable AC unit every night so I don't have a seizure."
Throughout the apartment, portable fans run constantly while ceiling fans spin overhead. Beard says unless someone is standing directly beneath them, there is little relief from the heat.
Beard says she has submitted multiple maintenance requests, contacted maintenance staff and continued asking for repairs, but says a permanent solution has not come.
"I've been here for two months and I put in multiple requests... and you still haven't done anything," she said.
While Beard shared her family's story with WINK News, she says her concerns are not unique.
Work orders shared with WINK News from multiple apartments show repeated requests for air conditioning repairs throughout the complex. Several neighbors also told WINK News they have experienced similar problems with cooling systems, making Beard's frustrations a concern shared by many living at the property — not just one family.
In addition to the air conditioning concerns, tenants also raised complaints about roof conditions ahead of hurricane season, missing weather stripping, ceiling fans that were not installed when units were occupied, damaged appliances, mold and lingering odors left behind by previous occupants. Some say they believe apartments were occupied before they were fully prepared for new tenants.
When WINK News contacted the property management office, staff referred questions to the Fort Myers Housing Authority.
Statement from Housing Authority regarding Landings at East Pointe:
The comfort and well-being of our residents is a top priority. As part of our standard maintenance protocols, our property management team works to promptly assess any reported air conditioning maintenance requests and schedule repairs or replacements as needed. Replacement equipment has already been ordered and is expected to arrive tomorrow for installation.
The property has also applied for CDBG-DR funding to support a planned rehabilitation project that includes full roof replacements, new mechanical systems and replacement of all air conditioning units. While we continue to address any maintenance needs as they arise, this planned investment is part of our long-term commitment to preserving the property and residents’ comfort for years to come.
We remain committed to providing safe, quality housing and addressing resident maintenance concerns as quickly as possible."
After WINK News read that statement to Beard, she said she's waiting to see results before believing the promised repairs.
"I don't believe anything," Beard said. "I've told this lady numerous times that my son is an epileptic... I got to see it."
