Little Havana residents upset over upcoming demolition of unsafe building

Florida – A building in Little Havana was deemed unsafe, and now residents have just days to get up and go before the power gets disconnected.

In a few days, the electricity to 1050 SW 5th Street will be cut off before demolition crews move in.

According to the families who live there — including an elderly woman and a small child, they knew nothing about it and that the owner of the building is nowhere to be found.

The city declared the building uninhabitable over the weekend and posted a sign notifying residents that they must vacate before the structure gets demolished next Tuesday.

“The company that rent to us don’t make maintenance. Nothing. Nothing,” said resident Nelson Diaz Lugo. “It’s a terrible situation.”

Most of the residents had already paid the $750 monthly rent for this month.

“Especially in December. December, with the holidays,” Lugo said.

According to the residents, the building was sold to a new owner in 2016.

This year, that owner went in front of the City of Miami’s unsafe structure review board, which suggested demolition. There were visible holes throughout the building, mold in the bathrooms and throughout the corners, as well as an illegally built kitchen under the stairwell.

“The conditions here, they’re not even third world. They’re fourth world,” said Commissioner Joe Carollo.

According to Carollo, he’s working with the city to find hotels to house the renters for the next three or four weeks. They’re still trying to make contact with the owner, who knew about the demolition and did not notify the people living and paying rent here, he said.

The office was closed Monday. A neighbor said it’s only open a few days each month.

“We are going to deal with him to the full extent of the law, but he stole money from these people knowing the city was coming to demolish this,” Carollo said.

The property is owned by an LLC called Vq Everglades Homes.