More than 36 Cuban families, including young children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses, have been sleeping outdoors for several days following a fire that partially devastated the Hines Building, an old shelter located on Avenida del Puerto, in Old Havana.
The incident occurred in the early morning of May 30, 2025. Testimonies collected by Martí Noticias indicate that the building had been functioning as a transit shelter for over nine years, but it was in deplorable conditions, with faulty electrical systems that had been reported repeatedly by the residents, without any action taken by the authorities.
The activist Idelisa Diasniurka Salcedo Verdecia, who has been documenting the situation on social media, reported that, after the fire, the affected individuals were temporarily placed in the San José Fair parking lot, just a few meters from the damaged building.
There, without minimal living conditions, they have been surviving since then without access to drinking water, electricity, or medical care. In their words: "The only thing they were given was a bread and two tablespoons of food".
Despite the presence of officials from the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in the area, families continue to lack an effective solution. Salcedo Verdecia also reported that residents have been threatened not to record videos or take photographs of the site, in an attempt to silence the magnitude of the disaster.
The residents of the Hines Building had already been the protagonists, at the beginning of 2024, of an audiovisual series in which they narrated the difficult conditions in which they lived: overcrowding, dampness, unsanitary conditions, and complete institutional neglect.
This new episode highlights the serious housing crisis facing Cuba, where thousands of families live in makeshift shelters and dilapidated buildings, while the State prioritizes the construction of luxury hotels, most of which are empty and lack effective operations to recoup those million-dollar investments.
More than three days after the fire, authorities have not provided a permanent relocation for these families, who continue to live in inhumane conditions for all to see.
Impact of the fire in the Hines Building in Old Havana
What happened in the Hines Building in Old Havana?
A fire partially devastated the Hines Building, leaving more than 36 Cuban families homeless. This building, located on Avenida del Puerto, was used as a transit shelter under deplorable conditions. Despite previous complaints about the defective electrical installations, the authorities did not take preventive measures.
How are the families affected by the fire surviving?
After the fire, the families were temporarily placed in the parking lot of the San José Fair, without minimum living conditions. They have no access to drinking water, electricity, or adequate medical care, and receive minimal food assistance.
What measures have the Cuban authorities taken following the fire at the Hines Building?
Despite the presence of officials from the Communist Party of Cuba in the area, families have not received an effective solution. No permanent relocation has been offered, and residents have been threatened not to document the situation, which reflects an inadequate response from the government.
What is the housing situation in Cuba following this incident?
The incident at the Hines Building highlights the severe housing crisis that Cuba is facing, where many families live in precarious conditions in makeshift shelters. This problem contrasts with the state investment in luxury hotels, which often remain empty while the basic housing needs of the population go unaddressed.
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