Private Story
Havana: Collapsing colonial charm
In communist Cuba, the government guarantees everybody a place to live. Although in recent years large progress has been made in the revitalization of the historical centre of Havana, the city still houses numerous spaces where buildings have collapsed. Away from the touristy sights, the majority of the houses in the districts Havana Vieja and Havana Centro are still in a dilapidated state. As the inhabitants lack resources to renovate their properties, the houses are not well maintained. Because of the combination of poor state salaries and shortage of building materials only few people are able to invest in the maintenance of their houses. So the collapse of buildings is still a common problem in present-day Havana. People who live there are offered a temporarily stay at shelters -that might last for many years-, and will be offered a house when available, not always in the same area as where they lived. The empty spaces are often converted in parking lots, playgrounds or workshops.
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