Heat Crisis in Mobile Home Park | Fort Wayne News

Fort Wayne News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 2, 2026 · 1m

In South Bend’s Countryside Village mobile home park, a ban on window air conditioners is forcing residents like Army veteran Charles Hicks—whose breathing struggles have worsened without his unit—to endure dangerous heat. Hicks, who’s lived there over 20 years, now relies on an oxygen tank, while dozens of others face similar hardship under YES Communities’ strict enforcement. Local officials, including State Senator David Niezgodski and his wife, Councilwoman Shelia Niezgodski, are sounding the alarm, calling the policy cruel to vulnerable seniors. Though the ban remains legal, advocates…