As an unrelenting heat wave grips most of the nation, a nonprofit agency in charge of hundreds of affordable housing units in Salt Lake City is shutting off the air conditioning at one of its sites from 8 p.m. until 11 a.m. daily.

The policy isn't aimed at conserving money or energy. It grew from neighbors' complaints about the noisy air compressor feeding the Pauline Downs apartment complex, home to dozens of low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities.

A group of residents in luxury condominiums at The Club allege the cooling unit, which rests just feet below their balconies, violates the city's noise ordinance. They first complained to Pauline Downs management in September when the unit was installed, and hired a lawyer to press their cause.

"We were told the problem would be fixed by this spring before they ever had to turn the cooler on. But nothing was done," said Scott Gastrup, property manager at The Club. "Our residents have been patient and tried to work with them."

Pauline Downs' managers admit there's a noise problem and say they're working on a fix. In the meantime, they agreed to shut down the offending unit at night.

"We understand there are people suffering through this terrible heat wave," said Joe Post, a division manager at the Housing Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Salt Lake City's Housing Authority. "But the engineer hasn't been able to give us an enclosure so we can run it and not be over code."

Pauline Downs, at about 130 South and 300 East, offers low monthly rents in exchange for federal tax breaks. Tenants are charged between $420 and $480 a month, and some pay with Section 8 rent vouchers.

Unlike public housing, which is governed by strict federal standards, the complex is under no obligation to provide air conditioning.

Even so, Post sent tenants a letter on Tuesday apologizing for the delay and offering to rescind leases for those who need to move "to beat the heat." On Thursday, Post issued another notice extending tenants a $75 rent credit or a free, portable air conditioner.

But these come as small consolation to renters who have endured sweaty nights since June and wonder why it's taking so long to retrofit the compressors with some sort of sound barrier.

"I keep that [fan] right on top of me. It just swelters in here," said Patty Eagle, 52, pointing to a large window fan. "But it's really the seniors and people with breathing problems that I worry about."

A Hurricane Katrina evacuee, Eagle's first worry about coming to Utah was surviving the winter. But summer has proved to be "the toughie," she said.

Tenants with patios facing the afternoon sun also bear the brunt.

"This is just another example of wealthy people having their way with society and the poor suffering for it," said Cory Dudis. The 29-year-old's apartment sits right above the compressors, which make a loud humming sound that Dudis likens to "white noise."

A waiter by night and bike messenger by day, Dudis is accustomed to hard work in hard conditions, but said he has been losing precious hours of sleep.

"A few nights ago, I took a wet towel and slept under it," said Dudis. "This building is a century old and made of brick, which just absorbs the heat. I really should be baking pottery in here."

Dudis is looking to move elsewhere, but said he "feels for" some of the more feeble tenants who "can't just pick up and go."

Bob Hughs, an attorney representing The Club residents, said it is unfair to paint his clients as insensitive rich people.

Month after month, Pauline Downs management has promised to fix the compressors, even sending out sound engineers as recently as Wednesday, said Hughs. "My clients do not see any light at the end of the tunnel. It's not fair to them to have those units blasting all the time when the owners of Pauline Downs put them in without any regard to how they might affect their neighbors. It's a nuisance."

kstewart@sltrib.com

Need help

beating the heat?

* Assist Inc. helps low-income households and people with disabilities do emergency repairs and make health and safety improvements to homes and apartments. For more information visit www.assist.org, or call 801-355-7085.

l Lifecare Bank helps low-income seniors with home repairs and hands out fans and cooling units during the summer. For more information visit, www.csc-ut.org or call 801-978-2452.