The Cuban government is promoting the construction of makeshift homes using metal containers in the Buena Vista community in San Antonio del Sur, Guantánamo.
These iron houses, in the Cuban climate, generate distrust and concern because they can turn into a real oven. They are designed to house families affected by Hurricane Óscar, which struck eastern Cuba in October 2024 and impacted over 13,000 homes.
On September 22, General of Division Ramón Pardo Guerra, Chief of the National Civil Defense Staff, toured the area alongside local authorities during an inspection that aimed to showcase progress on the controversial housing plan that the regime claims will be "temporary."
Venceremos reported in early September that 23 recycled containers from a solar park under construction will be installed on-site, as part of a project that plans for a total of 60 units. The structures are being converted into homes with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room.
The government stated that they should complete two modules per day, but the images suggest that the project's progress is slower than expected, which may be the reason for the General's visit.
The adaptation of the containers is managed by several state-owned companies under the coordination of the business unit Génedis, in collaboration with Muebles Imperio, Valbo, Cedai, the Provincial Housing Directorate, and the Ministry of Construction (Micons).
Yoel Pérez García, the first secretary of the Communist Party in Guantánamo, called to accelerate the works and "make the most of" the metal structure of the modules, which are protected against corrosion with layers of paint.
Emergency solution amid a structural crisis
Although the reuse of containers as housing is not new worldwide, in developed countries this practice is often accompanied by habitation standards, urban planning permits, and thermal insulation systems that are not observed in the Cuban case.
In a climate like that of Cuba, where average temperatures exceed 30 degrees and can reach 35 or more, living in a metal box without adequate insulation poses a serious health risk, especially for children and the elderly. The lack of efficient ventilation can turn these structures into uninhabitable ovens.
Antitermal solutions and elevated roofs can mitigate some of the problem, but they require investments that the state does not seem capable of making, given the severe resource crisis.
A patch in response to the housing collapse
The hurricane Óscar left a scene of devastation in Guantánamo, with torn roofs, collapsed homes, fallen power poles, and flooding. By the end of November 2024, only 8% of the more than 13,000 affected homes had been repaired, and most of the solutions were partial fixes on roofs.
In contrast, the government had prioritized the repair of state facilities. In those cases, out of 700 damaged, 525 were already ready (75%), and another 97 had resources available for their rehabilitation.
This bet on containers is part of a growing trend in several Cuban provinces such as Holguín, Las Tunas, and Villa Clara, where "alternative" constructions are being promoted in response to the collapse of the materials industry and the state's inability to implement sustainable housing plans.
In Las Tunas, for instance, more than 10,000 families still live with dirt floors. Meanwhile, in Villa Clara, they're experimenting with homes that completely do away with concrete and steel, and in Pinar del Río, ancestral techniques of construction using earth and lime have been revived.
The sustained decline in housing construction in Cuba is one of the most evident signs of the economic crisis the country is facing. In 2024, fewer houses were built than in the toughest years of the Special Period, and the housing deficit now exceeds 800,000 units.
The initiative in San Antonio del Sur, presented as an “innovative solution,” is merely another temporary fix that highlights the lack of structural responses to address a problem that directly impacts hundreds of thousands of Cubans.
Frequently asked questions about container-built homes in Cuba
Why are containers being used as housing in Guantánamo?
The Cuban government is using recycled containers to build temporary housing in Guantánamo due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Oscar in 2024, which affected more than 13,000 homes. This measure is part of a plan to provide a quick solution to the housing crisis, although the living conditions of these containers are questionable due to the extreme climate of the region and the lack of proper thermal insulation.
How many homes are planned to be built with containers in Guantánamo?
A total of 60 containers adapted as housing is planned to be installed in the Buena Vista community in Guantánamo. So far, 23 recycled containers from a solar park under construction are being used. Each container is adapted to include two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room.
What are the main habitability issues of these container homes?
The main problem with these houses is the extreme heat that can accumulate inside the metal containers due to the lack of proper insulation. In a climate like Cuba's, where temperatures easily exceed 30 degrees, these containers can turn into uninhabitable ovens, especially dangerous for children and the elderly.
Are there any precedents for this type of construction in Cuba?
Yes, in several Cuban provinces, "alternative" constructions have been promoted using containers and other non-traditional materials, as seen in Las Tunas and Holguín, where the aim is to alleviate the housing deficit. However, these solutions often lack the habitability standards observed in other countries, raising concerns about their long-term viability.
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