Ethel Whitmore was supposed to be a successful example of a Washington D.C. home renovation program. Instead, her case has become a cautionary tale.

The 71-year-old Whitmore was the first resident to join the Residential Accessory Apartment Program (1), a $1.65 million city initiative that focused on converting spare space in homeowners’ properties into rental units.

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The idea was simple: The city would pay for renovations so that 15 homeowners (2) could create affordable housing and earn rental income.

But instead of getting a finished rental unit, Whitmore says the city left her high and dry with a bunch of problems. She told ABC 7 News (WJLA) (3) that the contractor walled off access to Whitmore’s furnace and hot water heater. Plus, her air conditioning unit is now perched on a pile of bricks.

Whitmore told ABC 7 that she was struggling to get the contractors or city officials to take responsibility for these issues.

“Nobody acted like they even cared,” she said. “They won’t come back.”

According to ABC 7, documents from the District of Columbia Department of Buildings showed that the construction work on her property was disapproved and incomplete. And reporters learned that the city had issued a default order against Whitmore, claiming she owes repayment for the construction work. “They’re out of their mind,” she said, upon hearing the news.