Umm Waleed lives in one such building in Jeddah’s Nuzlah district.

“The rent here is affordable, it’s very hard to get a three bedroom flat for this price (SR600) and I have a large family,” she told Arab News.

Umm Waleed’s neighbor has a crack in her ceiling through which water drips, and in a wall another crack through which light from the street seeps in.

“My neighbor’s husband has refused to file a complaint with the municipality probably because he doesn’t want to upset the building’s manager,” she said. “Another problem is that many of the residents have water tanks on the building’s roof. We told the building manager we’re afraid the roof might collapse with so many water tanks, he said that the building is strong, but we are still worried.”

An excessive number of water storage containers was cited as the reason for a recent collapse of an apartment building near Jeddah’s Bab Makkah, which claimed the lives of six children. Arab News asked the superintendent of Umm Waleed’s building how many water storage tanks were on the roof. He said 13.

Another resident in the building who didn’t want to be named has said that he intends to file a complaint with the municipality regarding the state of the building.

Thuriya who used to live in the Al-Qurrayat district said that for years she and her family stayed in a dilapidated house because they couldn’t afford better housing.

“A vacant house right next to my neighbor’s home partially collapsed after it rained, and a half torn and cracked wall was leaning over her doorstep,” she said.

The poor family can’t afford to move out even though their lives are at risk. The building is in such a sorry state that they use a window to enter and exit the home.

In March, the Jeddah Municipal Council held an emergency meeting to discuss fires that gutted buildings in the Balad (historic center) and ways to ensure older buildings are safe.

Jeddah’s historic center needs about SR1 billion for renovation and development, according to the municipality. Furthermore, an estimated 312 of downtown’s historic buildings need to be vacated so that such renovations can take place.

The Balad is home to Jeddah’s oldest buildings, with their distinctive coral-brick stucco walls and mushrabia window boxes. Today most of these buildings are in various states of disrepair.