Broken Furnace Leaves Homan Square Woman With No Heat, Broken Pipes

Chicago (CBS) -- If the chill from ice or the winter winds makes you shiver outside, consider what Marilyn Lee's home in Homan Square is like inside.

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"It's just been a horrific situation," said Lee, who describes herself as a disabled widow.

A space heater is her only source of heat in the living room, which had a temperature of 40 degrees Sunday afternoon.

The cold temperatures caused her pipes to burst Wednesday, but her problem began downstairs in the basement.

She said her furnace used to make a constant humming sound, but now it does nothing.

Lee says through a City of Chicago program for low income households, her unit was installed in 2013. But, it stopped working and is now past its warranty.

After calling for service, she was given a price of $950 to repair it.

"I don't have that money," Lee said.

Additional calls and letters to get help have led her down a red tape trail of bureaucracy.

For now, heating her home is hazardous.

"I have my stove on," Lee said. "I have no other recourse."

City officials did not immediately return requests for comment or for ways to help Lee.