Challenges for Housing Policy in Cuba: Case Studies from Havana

Abstract

Housing remains one of the most severe and politically sensitive social issues facing the Cuban nation. While Cuba maintained its reputation for high standards in education and public health through the difficult years of the Special Period, meeting the housing needs of the population proved much more challenging. This paper begins with an overview of revolutionary Cuba’s housing system and achievements up to the 1990s and documents some of the challenges of the subsequent economic crisis. Its main thrust, however, is on research on housing strategies and initiatives in the post-2000 period, mainly focused on the capital city, Havana. The research identifies changing approaches to housing policy in response to the broader national and international economic climate. The evidence confirms the significance of structures for the governance of housing within the state apparatus; the important role of professional analysts and practitioners in innovative practice; and the importance of community participation in achieving new solutions to housing problems. Improvements through initiatives such as the regeneration of Old Havana and collaboration with international NGOs present valuable models but have been limited in quantity and geographical scope, relative to the scale of need.