Cuarterias, A
Time Bomb For
Something
Horrible To
Happen
"Cuarterias" -
rooming or
tenement housing
- is a real
problem in San
José and
municipal
officials have
their hands tied
in controlling
the growing
problem that has
been the scene
of many
fatalities over
the last several
years.
Cuarterias are
typically
located in the
poor or "bad"
areas of San
José, where a
small apartment
is converted
into a rooming
house for 10 or
20 people, or
small apartment
buildings, say
containing two
or three
apartments, is
converted into
home for a dozen
or more
families.
One of the
biggest problems
facing the
control of the
Cuarterias is
"who is
responsible" for
their control?
Although the
Policia
Municipal
(Municipal
Police) is
clearly in
control of
closing down
Cuarterias and
evicting people,
it is unclear if
the municipality
has the full
control, as it
also is a
problem of
health issues,
which are
clearly the
domain of the
Ministerio de
Salud and fire
hazards, which
are now the
domain of the
Bomberos, which
are not under
the control of
the
municipality.
While
authorities try
to figure out
who has control
and then what
to, Cuarterias
continue to crop
up.
As such, the
municipalidad de
San José has
begun a campaign
to get
neighbours to
report the
presence of a
Cuarteria so
that the
Municipal Police
can take action,
but more
important, avoid
a tragedy, as
Cuarterias are
described as a
time bomb.
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