Cuban in Little Havana shows the bad condition of the house he rents: "We live like dogs."

Residents have reported the situation numerous times, but the building management and the Miami government do nothing to address this delicate matter.

Edificio en La Pequeña Habana © Telemundo51
Building in Little HavanaPhoto © Telemundo51

A Cuban from Little Havana reported the deplorable conditions of the apartment he has been renting in Miami for over a decade.

Telemundo 51 visited the home of Antonio Álamo. The images of the state of the house in Little Havana have generated a wave of concern due to the danger it poses to the residents.

Leaks in the roof / Telemundo 51

The complaints of these families range from leaks in the ceilings, with large drips on rainy days, to floors with holes and damp walls, creating an unhealthy and harmful environment.

Álamo has health problems that affect his mobility and breathing. Living in those conditions exacerbates his ailments. He has lived in that apartment with his wife for 13 years.

Breakage of a piece of roof / Telemundo 51

"This was a piece that fell," he comments while pointing to a fragment of the ceiling. "Today this, tomorrow that. The rain damaged my fan," said the affected person.

As if that weren't enough, residents in this building notice that the floor also has issues. The floor is sinking due to moisture.

"There's decay here. We live like dogs. It seems we're in a third-world country," said Álamo.

The tenant pays 200 dollars in rent because the government provides assistance for a dignified living, but the reality of the apartment he rents indicates otherwise, which is why he asks the politicians in Miami to address his case.

On June 17, the residents of this building filed a complaint with Commissioner Joe Carollo's office, who confirmed that he sent an inspector to assess the situation. However, the technical review did not result in any changes or solutions to the property's issues.

Carollo committed to sending an inspector again to follow up on the case and ensure that corrective measures are taken with the building's administrators.

Currently, the roof is under repair, but it is not a sufficient measure, as the structural problems seem to go beyond superficial repairs.

Another resident of the building believes that the place is uninhabitable. "It's not that they're going to fix it, it's wet everywhere, the bathrooms are rotten, the tubs are full of holes, everything is destroyed. This building needs to be shut down," he emphasized.

The situation has led some neighbors to make drastic decisions. A tenant who lived in the building with his father for years decided to leave after the death of his parent last month, unable to bear the deplorable conditions, despite the low rental cost.

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