The Cuban government has formalized a new measure that will allow up to 20% of the salary to be deducted from citizens who are beneficiaries of state-assigned housing, with payments that could extend over 30 years, according to an agreement from the Council of Ministers published this Tuesday in the Official Gazette.
The regulation, approved on March 14, 2025, finally comes into effect following its official publication on February 4, 2026, nearly a year later, amidst a housing crisis that is affecting thousands of Cuban families who are struggling between collapsed buildings, shelters, and dilapidated homes.
According to the document, homes built by the state or those that remain available in the hands of municipal governments may be assigned under the modalities of ownership, leasing, or usufruct, depending on the "payment capacity" of the beneficiary and the established order of priority.
In the case of property assignment, the Government authorizes that payment can be made in monthly installments not exceeding 20% of the holder's income. Additionally, it is established that the payment term can be extended up to 30 years, depending on the age and economic capability of the beneficiary.
The agreement states that the beneficiary may make advance payments, but warns that in the event of "unjustified" non-compliance, actions will be taken according to the current legislation, which leaves open the possibility of losing the right to the property.
For those with low incomes, the state offers a rental option, with payments calculated at 10% of the salary, especially when even a 20% deduction becomes impossible without "sacrificing basic needs."
In the most critical cases, the regime may grant housing in usufruct, a figure that does not confer ownership and will be applied when the person cannot assume "any deduction" from their income.
The regulation also states that if a beneficiary in usufruct or lease improves their income, they may request a change of status and choose to pay for the housing as an owner, with the amount already paid being deducted.
A measure amid the housing collapse
The announcement comes amid a context marked by the accelerated deterioration of Cuba's housing stock. Various reports have estimated that the country has a deficit of nearly one million homes, with hundreds of thousands still needing to be built or rehabilitated, while collapses in Havana and other provinces have become part of daily routine.
The government itself has acknowledged the seriousness of the problem in recent years and has passed regulations that require beneficiaries to pay for state housing through monthly payments calculated based on family income.
Since 2019, the Council of Ministers had determined that the transfer price of state-owned houses would be equivalent to the budgeted construction cost, and that allocations would prioritize those affected, social cases, and families in precarious conditions. However, the reality for thousands of Cubans remains unchanged: long waiting lists, endless bureaucracy, and a chronic shortage of resources.
Linked housing and payments by year
The new agreement is also linked to previous regulations regarding housing connected to state work centers, which could be transferred to tenants after years of payments.
According to procedures published on official platforms, the transfer of ownership of linked homes requires a total of 180 monthly payments, equivalent to 15 years of payments, in addition to meeting labor and legal requirements.
Now, the government is expanding the framework for state housing in general, establishing much longer terms—up to 30 years—which for many Cubans means a financial burden in a country where state salaries remain insufficient to cover even monthly food expenses.
Who will be able to afford a house on a Cuban salary?
Although the measure is presented as a "flexibilization" to ease access to housing, the reality is that for a significant portion of the population, a 20% reduction in salary can be the final blow to family economies already suffocated by inflation, scarcity, and the brutal rise in prices of basic goods.
In Cuba, where many families depend on remittances or the informal market for survival, the announcement reopens an inevitable debate: who can really afford a state-owned house on a salary in Cuban pesos? And, above all, how many Cubans will be able to wait three decades to say that the house they live in truly belongs to them?
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