A Cuban mother and her son, who suffers from psychiatric disorders, have been forced to sleep on the streets due to the negligence of authorities in addressing the collapse of their home in the Regla municipality of Havana. Midiala Ortiz Azcuy shared their plight on social media this Thursday, detailing the events that led to their heartbreaking decision to sleep on the streets after seeking help from various local authorities without success.
Faced with the indifference of these officials, the mother and her son chose to sleep in the doorways of the Cine-Teatro Regla, a building near the municipal government headquarters of Regla, across from Parque Guaicanamar.
Years of Struggle and Bureaucratic Hurdles
According to Ortiz Azcuy, her mother was granted authorization in 2013 to build their home and received a municipal subsidy to do so. "With that famous subsidy, we started purchasing materials. By 2017, we managed to lay the foundation and place blocks around the entire house," she explained.
However, "the roof never arrived because an order came down stating that subsidies were no longer provided for roofing." In 2023, her mother sadly passed away, and by May of this year, the house's wooden roof collapsed, leaving them in a dire situation. Ortiz Azcuy immediately reported the incident to the municipal housing office.
Continuous Rejection By Authorities
Instead of addressing her case, the housing director informed her that she needed to "cancel the subsidy because it was in my mother's name." After several futile attempts to get a response from the housing director, she was told that her case needed to be processed through the Municipal Administration Council (CAM).
Days later, Ortiz Azcuy received a response from this municipal office, stating that her home had been accepted into the 2024 construction plan. However, with only three months left in the year, she has received no further updates or subsidies for a new roof.
Desperation and Public Appeal
"I ended up on the streets. Fortunately, some friends housed me for four months; but now, I am back on the streets with my son Jefferson, who has psychiatric issues. We had to sleep on the streets yesterday because we have nowhere to go. This is a tough time in my life," she lamented.
She also mentioned that she would be visiting the municipal committee of the Communist Party of Cuba on Friday, "summoned by comrade Osmany, vice construction manager," to arrange for a housing technician to assess her house's condition.
Photos shared by Ortiz Azcuy show the collapse of the roof, made from improper wooden materials. "But the situation remains that I am on the streets with my son and no solution in sight. Please share this to help me resolve my problem," the desperate mother pleaded, seeking any help to avoid further homelessness and despair.