More than two weeks after a building at the corner of Campanario and Neptuno in Centro Habana experienced another internal collapse, several families remain without official relocation and are taking refuge on the ground floor of the same property, according to Martí Noticias.
The firefighters prohibited re-entry to the apartments after detecting an imminent risk of total collapse.
"Around a month ago, two floors inside collapsed and many people were evacuated, but some remained in their homes. And now, about 15 days ago, there was another collapse inside, and the remaining roofs are very fragile," a neighbor told the media.
In the absence of a housing solution, those affected spent several days on the street before being relocated to the ground floor of the building when the rains began.
"There are still quite a few left; they were first on the street and now they have been placed under the building because it rained and all. There was also a truck that collected some furniture to store it in a warehouse so it wouldn't go to waste," the same source added.
The authorities offered a temporary alternative of an old store on Neptuno street itself, but those affected rejected it due to its poor condition.
"In a store right here in Neptuno, which is about two or three floors, but I didn't like it, I don't know why, maybe because it was in very poor condition," the neighbor remarked.
Among those affected are elderly individuals, children, and entire families. The elderly have been moved to nursing homes, while the minors have been taken to relatives' houses, as the majority of residents continue to wait for a permanent relocation.
The case of Campanario and Neptuno is not the only one lacking institutional response in the capital. On Ánimas Street 714, another partially collapsed building has been in the same situation for more than a month.
Antonio Font, owner of an apartment in that building, reported having approached the municipal government, the Housing Directorate, and the neighborhood delegate without receiving any concrete measures.
"It's been about two months now, and the authorities have not provided any response. The municipal government has ignored the housing issues, and the delegate is already aware of it, but no one is taking any action," Font stated.
Those displaced by landslides in Cuba effectively face two options: seeking refuge with family members or being sent to state shelters, which in many cases are converted public offices where overcrowding, electrical issues, and unsanitary conditions have been reported.
The drama is set against a structural housing crisis that worsens each year. The national housing deficit surpassed 929,000 units in 2026, according to official figures, and in Havana, around 1,000 buildings collapse each year.
The state's response has historically been insufficient: in 2025, the regime completed only 2,382 homes out of an official plan of 10,795, achieving a completion rate of 22%.
As the deficit grows and buildings collapse, entire families like those in Campanario and Neptuno continue to wait, exposed to the elements, for someone in the government to take action.
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