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Houses without cement are “an invention” that seems to have come to stay: authorities of the regime are assessing their implementation in Santiago de Cuba to assist those affected by Hurricane Melissa.
According to the official press Danislay Hechavarría Duvalón, coordinator of Construction Programs and Objectives in the Provincial Government, stated that this is one of the solutions aimed at alleviating the crisis following the damage to 137,000 properties, with 22,000 total collapses, caused by Melissa.
Additionally, the official assured that they are working on "the adaptation of premises and containers in homes, as well as the construction of hundreds of type IV houses."
"The local production of construction materials is being restored," and "other solutions are being evaluated in the most affected municipalities (Santiago de Cuba – with around 67,000 houses – Palma Soriano and Contramaestre), as well as the prototype of a house that does not use cement, which has already been built in Segundo Frente," added Hechavarría Duvalón.
This is not the first time this solution has been implemented on the island. Last June, the government of the province of Villa Clara announced the construction of two experimental houses - one in Santa Clara and another in Remedios - that completely eliminate the use of cement and steel.
A few days ago, the Cuban state press also spread the news of an "innovation" initiative to build homes using repurposed metal containers.
The project has been presented as a solution to the housing deficit and the limitations of cement and fuel that have hindered the housing plan in the country, in addition to the damage accumulated from cyclones such as Melissa.
The collapse of housing construction in Cuba clearly reflects the magnitude of the economic and social crisis facing the country. In 2024, 5.5 times fewer homes were built than in 1984 and 15 times fewer than in 2006.
Even in 1992 - a critical year of the Special Period - nearly three times as many houses were built compared to last year, according to economist Pedro Monreal.
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