Metal boxes are “an alternative to the shortage of essential materials” to alleviate the housing crisis
Havana, September 26, 2025 — In a country without cement, bricks and steel bars, the State has taken containers and converted them into housing. If before the boxes were used only for company annexes and temporary premises, now the country has a comprehensive plan for them to be inhabited by dozens of families throughout the Island. The main problem, and what worries future tenants most, is the incompatibility between tropical heat and a house made entirely of metal.
In Sancti Spíritus, areas have already been located in eight municipalities where 133 containers will be installed, “reaching the end of their useful life after freight operations,” which in this case was transporting the solar panels that arrive on the Island. The project, which has been launched in other provinces such as Las Tunas and Guantánamo, aims to be “an alternative to the deficit of essential materials for construction, such as cement, steel and aggregates.”
The authorities have insisted that recycling containers are a resource used around the world for housing. However, they overlook the fact that these are usually well-equipped tourist facilities with all-day air conditioning and other amenities. They are rarely used in the construction of permanent dwellings for the population without air conditioning.
Even so, the official press stresses that the containers are fitted with “anti-thermal coatings on interior walls and additional ceilings,” which make them suitable for use as a home. Reinforced concrete piles are also included to prevent corrosion and moisture, and, as a bonus, the authorities mention a “proper aesthetic finish.”
“This is a very new development, but given the scarcity of resources, the housing construction plan rests on this modality”
“This is a very new development, but given the scarcity of resources, the housing construction plan rests on this modality. Hence the majority of them will go to those affected by meteorological events, mainly in Yaguajay, as well as to mothers with more than three minor children, among others,” Néstor Borroto González, director of Housing in the province, explained to Escambray.
In the face of the reluctance of the population, who see containers as a half-hearted solution to the housing crisis and whose disadvantages will soon begin to be noticed, both the State press and the authorities assure that it is a win-win solution.
“These houses will have different dimensions, depending on the size of the structure, and will include a kitchen, bathroom, dining room, bedrooms, doors, and single and double windows made from raw materials and local products that will be offset by some of the national balance sheet.”
The measure is already being implemented at a national level by the Mariel Architectural and Engineering Project Company, and in each province it is the local authorities who are responsible for “the foundations and housing developments.”
Last Monday, the officials in Guantánamo directed part of the 14 containers from the installation to Buena Vista, a village in the municipality of Yateras. The makeshift homes will be used for those affected by Hurricane Oscar, who have been waiting for the aid promised by the State for a year.
Last Monday the officials in Guantánamo directed some of the 14 containers to Buena Vista, a village in the municipality of Yateras
Earlier, at the beginning of August, Las Tunas was also chosen for the project. Héctor Rodríguez Espinosa, provincial director of Housing, announced with optimism that the first containers would be installed in the municipalities of Manatí, Puerto Padre and Majibacoa. Among the advantages allocated to them are strength, durability and low environmental impact.
“At present, the province has 46, and 18 of them are assigned to the Electric Company for the construction of nine houses for its workers, and 28 to be delivered through the popular councils by the delegates, community groups and government in each territory,” said the director.
According to the National Office of Statistics and Information, although in 2024 the investment in housing was 54,553 million pesos (14% more than a year before), the completed buildings cost only 7,427 million (53% less than in 2023). To top it all off, 62 per cent of the homes were self-built.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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