Raleigh men's shelter working to fix A/C problems

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- ABC11 is getting answers after a viewer reached out to us about problems with the air conditioning inside of the South Wilmington Street Center men's shelter.

"It's sweltering hot in there," said Andrew Mas. "It's hotter sometimes in there than it is out here. Last night, I woke up at two in the morning, and I was drenched, completely drenched."

White flags have been flying outside the shelter for days as a welcome sign to homeless people looking for a cool and safe place to sleep.

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The shelter's manager told ABC11 the type of A/C unit the building uses can sometimes lead to poor circulation during the hot summer months, especially in the dorm room areas.

"Our system is designed to draw air from the outside, and we want to minimize the risk of airborne particles that's why we do that, so it's a challenge for the system to cool the existing air outside because it's so hot and the temperature is so high," said Frank Lawrence.

Lawrence said the county's general services department has ordered parts to repair the system to make it more efficient.

The shelter has also set up extra fans and water stations around the facility.

"We understand that the heat is an issue and can be a factor, and we want to do all that we can to assist them," said Lawrence.