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Residents of the Focsa building, one of the architectural icons of Havana, have publicly denounced the accelerated deterioration of the property, citing garage ceilings with detached concrete, exposed steel bars, broken elevators, and accumulated trash on several floors, while the management claims to lack funds for basic repairs.
The independent newspaper 14ymedio reported this Saturday on a complaint sent anonymously by residents of the building, who stated they hid their identities "for precaution." The document directly holds the real estate company Cimex S.A. responsible, as they have been in charge of managing the property for decades.
The complaint raises a question that summarizes the residents' discontent: how is it possible that a building generating over a million dollars a year in rental income lacks resources for the maintenance of its facilities?
"Neglect and abandonment are prevalent in the building," claim the residents in their complaint, before noting that for some time they have perceived "strong signs of corruption" among those managing the property.
The photographs shared by the neighbors reveal an alarming situation: in the garage, large sections of the ceiling show the covering completely detached, with pieces of concrete on the ground and exposed rusted metal reinforcements, even over areas where vehicles are parked.
On the interior stairs, cracks, open areas, and exposed rebar can be seen in places that are used daily. Internal rooms appear to have been turned into storage for black bags, cardboard, and waste without any order or cleanliness.
Of the seven elevators in the building, only two function regularly: one in the lobby and another service elevator. Residents endure endless lines to reach their apartments, and the situation worsens during frequent power outages, when several people have been trapped inside the cabins due to a lack of fuel for the generator.
The electricity crisis hits Focsa particularly hard because the building is entirely electric; a gas network was never installed.
"Because gas installations were never done, everything here is electric," explained an architect on social media. This means that cooking, using elevators, and water supply depend entirely on electricity. On June 9, the building was without electricity for 23 hours and, when the power returned, it lasted only an hour and a few minutes.
"I bear witness. And it is prohibited to cook with gas. Everything in the building runs on electricity, in a complex with many elderly residents. There are elderly people even on the 29th floor," wrote the architect aware of the situation in the building. Another resident added, "The old folks are starving because they can't cook."
Trash is another cause for concern. According to the complaint, there are hardly any containers for waste, and the stench spreads across several levels. Recently, containers and piles of accumulated waste in the garden caught fire, and only the intervention of firefighters was able to extinguish the flames.
In February, a fire in the basement of the Focsa building mobilized firefighters. Residents warn that most of the fire extinguishers are not functional and that the old water pump fire suppression system is out of service.
Residents also question investments that they describe as failed or outright fraudulent. The lobby renovation, carried out more than five years ago, installed air conditioning units that were never used and an air curtain that never worked.
A supposed major repair of the elevators announced the replacement of cabins, motors, cables, and doors, but according to the neighbors, only the cables and some minor parts were replaced. "Where did the invested money go?" they ask.
To manage a 36-story building with 373 apartments, two-level garages, and commercial areas, there are only three workers.
The deterioration of Focsa is not an isolated case. Havana loses approximately 1,000 buildings each year and by the end of 2025, there were 185,348 properties in poor condition in the capital, of which 46,158 required major renovations.
In 2025, landslides resulted in at least six deaths. The abandonment of the historic Lincoln Hotel in Central Havana, like other buildings in Havana, follows the same pattern.
A citizen's comment on social media captured the concerns of many: "This is how the building that collapsed in Miami started, due to the deterioration of its underground garage, and they ended up crushed. They need to take action on this matter. Otherwise, it will collapse soon."
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