Harmony Towers residents tell Harrisburg council months-long lack of hot water; call for stronger code enforcement

Residents of Harmony Towers told the Harrisburg City Council that dozens of tenants, many elderly or mobility-impaired, have been living without hot water for months and urged the city to enforce housing codes more rigorously.

At a council legislative session, resident Jeff Clatt said he filed two tenant-landlord complaints with the Harrisburg Bureau of Codes — one in November 2023 and another in January 2025 — and that he believes the bureau rarely issues citations. "The city's tenant landlord complaint system is seriously broken," Clatt said, adding that without citations the courts cannot impose penalties and Section 8-115.99 "cannot be implemented if there's no citation."

The problem was described in detail by Harmony Towers residents. "20 of my neighbors have not had hot water for 3 to 6 months," resident Deb Dwyer told council members, saying management is based in San Antonio and owners are out of state. Resident Julia Del Toro said, "I have not had hot water in 6 months," and described using a gym to bathe because of arthritis and mobility issues. Del Toro also said the building, which formerly served seniors, has seen services cut since a new owner took over.

Council members did not propose new enforcement authority at the meeting but acknowledged limits. A council member said the council "doesn't have enforcement powers" but promised to "talk to who we need to talk to and see if we can have some type of influence on this." Council staff later asked residents to meet after the session to provide additional details and contact information.

Residents described management delays and mixed messages about repair parts and timelines. Dwyer said the building's office told tenants a needed part was on back order, then later told her the part had been on site for days but had not been installed. Tenants reported contacting multiple agencies, including the state Attorney General's office, HUD and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, with limited results.

The council did not take formal action on the complaints during the session. Council members encouraged residents to meet with staff after the meeting so officials can gather more information and consider next steps.

The public comments put a spotlight on two distinct issues: the immediate need for hot-water repairs at Harmony Towers and broader questions about whether the Bureau of Codes is issuing citations when violations are reported. Residents asked the city to follow up with the building's management company and to consider stronger enforcement or oversight to ensure habitability for vulnerable tenants.

The council's clerk and staff were asked to speak with the residents after the meeting for contact details and additional documentation; no timeline or further directives were recorded on the legislative record.