Havana’s once stately homes crumble as their residents live in fear of an imminent collapse

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Associated Press

HAVANA (AP) — The housing situation in Cuba is critical, with buildings partially or completely collapsing under the weight of storms, lack of maintenance and years of neglect. It is estimated that nearly 40% of the island’s 3.9 million houses are in only fair or poor condition. One of them is a once stately mansion in Old Havana that houses six families and is now partially destroyed. Local lore says it once belonged to a marquise. The house is only one block from where a similar building collapsed earlier this month, leaving three dead, including two rescue workers.