At least four homes in Tijuana’s Madero Sur neighborhood have suffered irreversible structural damage, and residents are now weighing evacuation as cracks in their walls continue to grow. Engineers say the damage stems from a construction project by the developer Sideways Living, which allegedly anchored foundations into the subsoil beneath neighboring properties without authorization.
Engineers Declare Damage Irreversible
The Colegio de Arquitectos e Ingenieros de Tijuana (College of Architects and Engineers of Tijuana) has been advising affected families after inspecting the properties. The organization’s engineers concluded that the structural damage to at least four houses cannot be repaired, raising concerns that the buildings could collapse if conditions worsen.
Residents report that cracks appeared and widened after the Sideways Living project began driving foundations into subsoil shared with adjacent lots. The practice, carried out without the consent of neighboring homeowners, destabilized the ground beneath existing structures, according to the engineers’ assessment.
City Government Has Not Sanctioned Developer
Despite the severity of the damage, Tijuana’s municipal government has not issued sanctions against the developer. Families affected by the cracking remain in legal and financial limbo, with no formal enforcement action taken to halt construction or compel the company to address the damage.
The lack of municipal response follows a pattern in Tijuana, where construction regulation enforcement has repeatedly lagged behind the pace of development. In 2022, the Camino Verde neighborhood saw 272 homes placed at risk of collapse due to unstable terrain and poor construction practices. In April 2023, two apartment buildings in the La Sierra neighborhood collapsed entirely after the ground gave way, displacing hundreds of residents. In that case, authorities found that adequate geotechnical studies had not been conducted before permits were granted.
Residents Weigh Their Options
Families in Madero Sur now face a difficult choice: remain in homes that engineers say are beyond repair, or leave without any guarantee of compensation or relocation support. The College of Architects and Engineers is working with residents to document the damage, a step that could support future legal claims against the developer.
Tijuana’s rapid growth, combined with its hilly terrain and varied soil conditions, has made construction disputes an ongoing concern across the city. Hillside neighborhoods and densely built areas are particularly vulnerable when developers fail to conduct proper soil studies or anchor into neighboring parcels.
The story was first reported by Zeta Tijuana.