that the conditions were better than in Kirenia’ s shelter, but a lady at the entrance retrieved me from the error: " There is no good condition here. The bathrooms are not inside the cubicles.” I did not have time to check whether it was true, but I saw from outside that the stairs were broken. Kirenia assured me that there are many empty houses in Regla. On the way, she could show me a few. " They always tell us that there is no accommodation fund and that these empty houses are private properties. But suddenly, somebody comes to live there and nobody knows where he or she came from. It is rumored that the former Housing Director was removed from office due to an illegal house sale, but there is no reliable source to confirm it. At the Government Palace, we were informed that the president only attended on Saturdays and we must arrive very early to meet him. Anyway, a lady from the Department of Attention to the Population received us. When we made the case for Vivian, who should have moved to a dwelling this year, but it was assigned to someone else, the lady answered in the same way as the president: " That ' s nothing to do with us, you should ask in the Housing Directorate ". We went there and the employees greeted Kirenia. She is an old acquaintance. All of them are familiar with her case and Vivian ' s. Yanet Piedra, an official in the Department of Accommodation Fund Control, explained that the house in Casablanca— in the very passageway where Vivian ' s daughter lives— had not been assigned to anyone. " The person occupying it will be temporarily there, while repairing her collapsed house. After that, it will be available for being assigned and the person under consideration is Vivian.” Barbara, an official in the Department of Attention to Population, gave me a broader explanation. " Vivian has been offered three homes: two in Robles Dos and one in La Jata. We have put her ahead some people who have been sheltered longer, because of her medical problems. She has been in shelter since 2006." After pointing out that the previous years were not taking into account, since Vivian argues she had the right to be sheltered, but there was no room available, I told Barbara that the legal ten-year term expired in 2016. Barbara said: " Housing is given after fifteen years in shelter. The problem of the sheltered people in Regla is that they do not want to go far away, but they must understand that in this municipality there is neither accommodation fund nor dwellings under construction. The constructions sites are far from here." Another employee said that, however, there is land to build in Regla. Barbara did not have an answer for that. However, she said that Vivian ' s problem is going to be resolved: " She has priority because of her illnesses and we also understand she is desperate.” As we said goodbye, Kirenia told me in a low voice: " I do go wherever they say; I have told my mother, it doesn ´ t matter where they send us. What’ s important to us is leaving the shelter ". Like the rest of the sheltered people and most Cubans, Kirenia cannot think of paying a rent or buying a house, although it became legal in 2012. Salaries are barely enough to eat; cloths and shoes are luxury items, especially if there are children to support. There is no way to raise money for buying even a room. There are no micro-brigades either, as in the past, when a person could work in building construction for three years( if he or she was lucky) or twenty to get an apartment, if he or she did not give up( or died) along the way. The option to build by self-effort is a daunting task, which requires a good health that Santa and Kirenia do not have.
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