EFE/14ymedio, Havana, 20 March 2022 — The Cuban Ministry of Construction (Micons) only completed 42% of the houses it planned to build in 2021 and 41% of the planned repairs.
According to the ministry’s annual report, presented this Saturday by official media, last year 18,645 homes were completed from the state plans, of the nearly 44,400 planned, and 14,245 were repaired, when the plan pointed to some 34,745.
The Prime Minister of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, who participated in the presentation of the report, spoke of the “dissatisfaction” of many families due to these breaches, including single mothers with three or more children, according to the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
Marrero also insisted on giving the “top priority” to the housing program and urged the Micons not to offer justifications and to get involved so that the programs are fulfilled.
The Micons plan for this year provides for the construction of 37,991 homes and the rehabilitation of 14,697. The State is the main constructor in Cuba.
The construction sector is experiencing serious difficulties in Cuba, with the lack of inputs such as steel and cement being one of the main obstacles.
Last January, it was reported that the housing built by private individuals exceeded what was agreed in the 2021 plan in Sancti Spíritus, while the State fulfilled just over half of what was agreed.
The provincial director of Housing, Néstor Borroto, told the local newspaper Escambray that the new work was saved thanks to the push of his own efforts and, although he does not give figures on how much expectations are exceeded, the amount is estimated to be high.
For February 2021, the plan for the year, added 1,441 new properties to the precarious Sancti Spiritus housing fund. Of these, 993 were be by private initiative, including 452 basic housing units (CBH) – about 25 square meters (270 square feet). The remaining 448 would be carried out through state channels.
Borroto now counts 55%, some 246, of the state homes as delivered and 56% of the state CBHs carried out (253 units). “Not so the own effort, which exceeded the agreed figure,” he indicated without saying by how much.
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