Housing Policy in Palestine Ministry of Public Works & Housing

The housing sector is the most important one for the Palestinian economy in terms of its contribution to GDP and as the main employer of the local labour force. In addition, this sector attracts more investments than any other, since investors consider it as an effective anti-inflation mechanism for the Palestinian economy.

The strategy of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works in this sector is to allow the private-sector to take the lead in the supply of housing while at the same time benefiting from donors funds to repair the destroyed houses by the Israeli army and re-housing those who were made homeless by the Israelis. The Ministry also has a policy to provide the appropriate infrastructure for housing schemes constructed by the private-sector to encourage the supply response to the increasing demand by increasing output and not increasing prices. The intention is definitely not to create a welfare system of housing in Palestine, but to allow the sector function in an encouraging environment.

It is difficult to predict demand for housing supply because it is linked to issues of political nature and the outcome of the final status negotiation with special reference to the issue of the Palestinian refugees.

A special program to enable the poor people for affordable housing is underway and the Ministry is making state land available for investment in housing. On the other hand a national commission has been put in place to recommend the necessary reforms needed in municipal legislation that hamper increasing supply and to look at improving regulations of land and housing development.

Furthermore, UN-Habitat, Canada and the World Bank have been requested to help the Ministry in capacity-building and develop a housing observatory and to shed light on issues related to Palestine from the international field.

We are sure that a well functioning housing institutions reflecting well defined national priorities will lead to a well functioning housing sector without distortions to the housing market.

Dr Mohammed Shtayye

Minister of Housing and Public Works

Introductory Note

"In no economically advanced country--a sadly neglected matter--does the market system build houses the poor can afford".

J.K. Galbraith

An Expert Group Meeting on the Human Right to Adequate Housing held in January 1996 at the UN Offices in Geneva and co-organized by the UN Centre for Human Rights and the UN Centre on Human Settlements (Habitat) concluded that:

“...a right to housing expressed in one formulation or another has been recognized, in addition to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), in each of the following instruments: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948, article 25); the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (article 5(e)(iii)); the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979, article 14(2)(h)); the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989, article 27(e); and the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951, article 21). (para. 3, Report of the Expert Group Meeting).”[1]

  The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), which has been ratified by 133 countries, provides perhaps the most significant international legal source of the right to adequate housing in article 11(1):

“The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent.” [2]

Housing  is an essential ingredient for life and a basic human right of all individuals.

The International Experience

In many developing countries, housing constitutes as much as half of the fixed capital formation of cities and covers 70% or more of the developed land area. This makes the housing sector a major contributor to the economic development of cities and therefore, by extension, to national economic growth. The effectiveness of this contribution needs appropriate government intervention.

As a whole, the new housing agenda of the World Bank, no longer sees the government as the producer of housing but rather as an actor that plays an enabling role of managing the housing sector as a whole. The government needs to treat the housing sector at the macro level, especially as the performance of the housing sector is intertwinned with that of the broader economy, and at the same time needs to combine it with micro intiatives. This means that the government still needs to take the lead in adopting appropriate standards for hosuing and residential infrastructure.

Housing has a significant role in terms of basic social support, as the housing unit is a source of capital accumulation. It has a significant impact on poverty in terms of basic social support, and plays a unique role in protection, as a center of family and community life, health and social well being. It provides the shelter necessary to work, study and form communities. Housing at the same time is key to expanding the middle class from a minority to a majority.

The weakness of the housing system therefore exarcerbates poverty by limiting capital formation and limits the role of shelter in improving the asset base of the poor. At a macro level it adversely impacts the national economy. (i.e. In the US, 43% of the wealth of the middle class is in home equity).

Housing Finance is important because it is an engine of equitable economic growth, and is often needed to meet the growing housing demand. Having a limited access to housing finance reduces the ability of the poor to leverage equity invested in their property. Housing finance in addition prevents slum proliferation, reduces poverty due to asset building,  it empowers leading to community strengthening and the improvement of  living conditions.  Parallely housing finance is part of the financial sector liberalization.

An interesting case example is Mexico that has been facing a pressing challenge to increase access of the poor to affordable quality housing and the need to develop its housing markets in general. Mexico is a case similar to Palestine where there is a large percentage of families which are under-housed. The two main problems being overcrowdedness of homes and the need to replace houses in a very poor condition.

The Case of Palestine

The major cause for the Palestinian housing crisis started almost 100 years ago with the beginnings of the Zionist immigration to Palestine, and the resulting establishment of the State of Israel in 77 per cent of Palestine. As a result, more than 800 000 Palestinians sought refuge in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and in the neighbouring countries (Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria).

In 1967, Israel occupied the remainder of Palestine, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled to Jordan. The result has been that Israeli policy and occupation have destroyed all aspects of Palestinian life. The housing sector has been greatly affected as Israeli policies had a major impact on housing and construction, by its policies on: land confiscation; restriction of the use of the remaining lands; the prevention of the establishment of factories related to construction; the demolishing of homes of Palestinians (and their relatives) who participated in national resistance; and the closing of banks and credit institutions. Many of the problems the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) now faces are a result of these.

Since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada a wide range of infrastructure and other built assets have been destroyed, and residential dwellings have suffered in particular. This has a direct effect on the welfare of the Palestinian population. Some estimates calculated that due to the Intifada there was a 90% decrease in the construction industry. The past few months have shown how confidence is increasing and the housing sector is starting to pick up.

The internal factors that have also contributed to the present housing situation include: the absence of a national housing strategy, lack of planning and managerial skills, lack of finance resources to devote to the matter, and problems associated with the building materials used.  It is important to bear in mind, the absence of a national government until the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority. The sector has been left without a well defined strategy, which has resulted in a lack of planning. We hope with this strategic document to answer some of the questions of investors, local actors and international donors involved in this issue, and start defining an effective strategy to deal with the housing and public works sector in Palestine.

Apart from the general political situation specific to Palestine, the issues that affect the production of housing include: 1) The provision of infrastructure; 2) The regulation of land and housing development; 3) The organization of the construction and materials industry; and 4) The involvement of the public sector in housing production, as there is a need to adopt policies that enable housing markets to work.

The reconstruction of Palestinian urban and rural areas, in a sustainable manner, is now one of the biggest challenges that the Palestinian Authority and the Ministry of Housing and Public Work is facing at present.  For such successful urban and rural reconstruction and development, profound issues need to be addressed, plus urgent emergency needs. The main priority in the short run in the reconstruction of houses destroyed in the past four years. These amoung to 7951 houses destroyed and approximately 63000 partially destroyed.

Housing production is one of the largest sectors in the economy with a large percentage of the work force working in it.  For most Palestinian households, it constitutes the largest single asset. The importance of the housing sector and improvements in it are large as it affects incomes, and the improvement of these directly affect living standards. It affects those who produce but also those who purchase. At a macro level it assists in the development of the financial system and can be a major source for taxation. For Palestine, it also gives a sense of stability.

The main problems the Palestinian housing sector faces are:

Rapid natural growth of the population: The population of West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) in 2004 was estimated at about 3.7 million, of which 63% are living in the West Bank and 37% in Gaza Strip. The urban populations consists of 53% of the total, while rural population is 31%. The remaining 16% live in refugee camps. The rate of population growth is relatively high, at 3.1% in the West Bank and 3.4%

Overcrowding and lack of privacy:

The 1997 Census estimated the total number of  residential dwelling units in WBGS at 389753, and the total number of households at about 407065. The numbers, although dated, highlight the extent of the problem when compared to the population figueres. Palestinian dwellings accomodate more than one household – mostly to extended families (married son and/or daughter living with parents). The growth in the number of dwellings is estimated at an annual average of about 20000. The result is that Palestinian households average 5.5 persons in the West Bank and 6.2 persons in the Gaza Strip (the overall number is 5.7 persons). This is more accute in the refugee camps and in the rural areas.

Inadequate legal framework for renting:

It was estimated that of the stock of dwellings in 1997, 12.8% were vacant, although this figuere is expected to have diminished at present. This generally high vacancy rate is generally attributed to the negative effects of the existing rental law which gives tentants in rental units the right to occupancy at the originally agreed rent for as long as they wish, even if the owner requires the unit for his or her own use. This right generally exists as long as the tenant is meeting his original contractual obligations.

Unavailability of land with proper titles and registration: 

The general legal status of property in WBGS is uncertain, but large numbers of properties are not formally registered and no clear titles are available. This is an important issue as ownership is the predominant form of tenure, with 83% of households owning property. This percentage increases in rural households were it reaches 90%. The case of refugee camps is a particular one, as camp lands are not owned by refugees. Overall, existing tenure patterns probably also reflect market distorisions due to the rental laws that as a result penalize landlors, and limit the incentives for the provision of rental housing.Palestine has among the highest levels of owner-occupancy found anywhere in the world.

Difficulties in the supply of inputs to the housing industry. Due to occupation and closures, Palestinian producers have been forced to rely on Israeli shippers, buyers and other middlement to reach third country markets. 

Price levels of housing:

Compared to incomes, price levels of housing are very high. Production has not kept pace with the household growth. This is exacerbated with the fact that there are many properties that do not have clear titles, which means that the development of the mortgage market is severely hampered, as well as the Palestinian economy as a whole, since it limits the ability of households and businesses to use their land as collateral for loans.

The role of housing is multifaceted both in society and in the economy in Palestine. It is simultaneoulsy an essential element for life, the core of family and community, and indicator of social status, a store of wealth, a valued economic and social asset, an avenue of investment, a sourxe of employment and a locus for political mobilization. The need to work on the housing sector is therefore vital.

What does the housing sector need? What is the Ministry doing in these areas?

1.    Cooperation between PNA and the private sector. The Authority and the Ministry are encouraging and providing public land for private sector development. The PNA is helping and providing infrastructure off site for different development and investment infrastructure. It is to be noted that most of the engineering and construction work is tendered to local private engineering firms.

2.    A well functioning title and registration system.  The PNA is at present working on a pilot project on land registration and management with the World Bank.

3.    Sensible planning and buisness controls. The Ministry for example is planning with other Ministries (Planning and Local Governance) a “Land Use Plan” were housing schemes are identifies. All Gaza has been covered with this plan and a similiar exercise will be carried out for the West Bank.

4.    Mortgage finance to serve the demand for long term credit. For this the PNA has created with the private sector, the Palestinian Housing Mortgage facility which gives loan guarantees for individuals for their housing development.

5.    Confidence – which is a measure of stability.

 

 

Short Term Objectives

• Reconstruction of destroyed houses.

The Ministry has prioritised the restoration and replacement of houses of families who have suffered from Israeli military action.

For this purpose the Emergency Re-Housing Program (ERP) has been established. The strategy of the Palestinian Authority is to assist home-owners and families. The Ministry appealed to the donors to provide the necessary funds for this reconstruction. Differnet donors have contributed to this Program: Al Aqsa Fund, USAID, China, UAE and Saudia Arabia.

 A database has been created for every single house that needs reconstruction, detialing the number of individuals affected, the cost of rconstructing and the extent of the damage. Based on this data, each beneficiary is being offered a set amount.  It is important to bear in mind that as UNRWA addresses housing needs in the camps, the ERP is oriented to households outside refugee camps.

 

The Situation in Gaza

The density for built-up areas in Gaza is among the highest in the world. With very limited land available, the consequences of the doubling of the population within the next 15 to 20 years are alarming. Utilities are surprisingly well connected to housing units, but the standard of the water and sewerage systems is very poor.

To pinpoint and define the bottlenecks for effective housing strategies in a decisive way is not easy, due to the lack of appropriate studies and statistics. There is a lack of reliable, basic data on population, family characteristics, housing conditions, income, financial possibilities, taxation, building costs, land uses, organizational build up and responsibility, a legal base, social obedience, implementation possibilities, monitoring capacities, etc. The recently drafte Land Use Plan of the PNA for Gaza is starting to tackle this need.

The situation in Gaza highlights how housing must be thoroughly be placed in the agenda. For Gaza, the existing feasibility studies for infrastructure, lay the ground for actions and implementation with good improvement characteristics also for housing. Some restrictions must be presented and enforced, in order to protect single buildings and areas of great architectural and historic value. The same is the case for land of environmental importance, and the need for efficient use of scarce resources. Some housing projects are almost ready to be started with small extra efforts, this should be done. And finally, the building costs, including taxation, have to be inspected closely with an eye for social consequences.

The effects of disenagamenet must also be taken into account.  The result of disengagement has been that 54km2 of fertile land has been added to the Palestinian Authority domain. This is 18% of the total area of Gaza.

Objectives Specific to Gaza:

·         The establishment of a Housing Development Policy with a practical programme specific for Gaza. The policy must deal with land use planning, rehabilitation efforts, and economical considerations. The Land Use Plan has laready identified certain areas for reconstruction of housing. For example plans are under way for the Sheikh Khalifa new city on the land of Morag settlement. This scheme will accomodate 30000Palestinians were previously 120 settlers were residing.

·         Institution building in Gaza in its broadest sense must be addressed, catering for active public participation and co-operation between the public and private sectors. The Ministry of Housing and Public Works from its 1250 staff members has approximately 700 working in the Gaza Strip. The ministry has directorates in every single governorate.

·         Empirical study of the current state of Housing in Palestine

This is needed in order to review all aspects of the sector, confirm problem diagnosis and and against which to benchmark future progress. The Ministry together with the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics has employed a specialist to undertake data collection on the subject.

• Policy Development Exercise

A Policy Development Exercise needs to be simulated which brings stakeholders into a process of developing a new housing policy and is based on newly available data from the empirical study. A coordinating body established to facilitate and coordinate different aspects of the housing policy in Palestine has been set up. This comprises representatives from the Ministry of Local Governance, the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Land Authority, together with the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

• Accelerated measure to be put in place

Accelerated zoning, building and registration procedures are needed to get the sector back into function. This has to be done without it being haphazardous. The procedures are now in place and the Ministry is implementing them.

Refugee Camps

There are 19 official UNRWA refugee camps in the West Bank, and 8 in the Gaza Strip. As at 31 March 2005, the total number of registered refugees in the West Bank was 697 542 and in the Gaza Strip there were 961 645, according to UNRWA statistics.

The majority of these camps are densely populated and suffer from multiple urban problems. Most of the existing refugee camps were established in the aftermath of 1948 war. Many of these camps are located close to the main towns and urban centres, and as a result of expansion and urban sprawl over the years, they have become an integral part of the towns. Such is the case of Askar and Balata camps in Nablus. In addition, most urban development close to refugee camps is also dense and suffers from poor quality construction, inadequate service provision and deteriorating environmental conditions.

The levels of occupancy and density are very high in the camps and services and environmental conditions are extremely bad, particularly in camps in Gaza. The population in the refugee camps now are third and fourth generation and have a cohesive social structure which should be maintained regardless of the final political settlement. Although there is desperate need for improvement and upgrading of the physicial condition of buildings, services and spaces, major redevelopment programmes will create rather than solve existing problems.

The rehabilitation of the refugee camps to be carried out by the Ministry needs to follow short term action plans based on priority identification for improvement, including, upgrading existing stock and infrastructure, improving surroundings, creating spaces for social, commercial and recreational activities as well as sites for new housing. It is important to note that the rehabilitation of refugee camps is carried out in coordination with UNRWA and this is under UNRWA’s responsibility. New land has been provided to UNRWA to rrehabilitate and rehouse Rafa’a and Jenin camps.

Mid Term Objectives

The Mid Term objectives are around policy development.

·    Consolidate the role of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

The number of institutions that deal with the housing sector and with human settlements in Palestine is at present limited. There is the Palestinian Housing Council, an ngo working mainly in Jerusalem, founded in 1991 which builds flats and gives to beneficiaries on a long term credit and mortgage basis. Other insitutions workins are UNRWA, the Palestinian Mortgage Facility or the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee. The Ministry cooperates with all these insitutiones and bodies to have a unified effort and for example provides free of charge most of the technical people working at the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee. This coordination is bringing clear administration and role responsibility boundaries to each organisation. New institutions involving housing may need to be established, if necessary.

 

The need for co-ordination is vital and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, as the official representative of the PNA, in the main coordinator. (It is important to note that this will not adversely affect the policy of decentralization nor preclude the participation of all key parties in developing and implementing housing strategies, but will ensure that the national policy is being implemented and that any duplication of work is avoided.)

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works faces an important challenge: it needs to facilitate and promote the participation and involvement of the largest possible number of individuals and organizations concerned with urban development, and the widest possible cross-section of Palestinian individuals and organizations.

·         Continue work on Housing Policy.

The broad goal of housing development in Palestine is to provide appropriate housing at an affordable cost to all citizens, taking into account political, social, economical and geographical considerations. Achieving this will be facilitated through short-term and long-term policies. The objectives of the Palestinian housing strategy should take the wide range of national inter-sectoral and sectoral developments requirements into consideration. These objectives should be defined to allow their achievements to be tested during implementation.

Housing policy today is no longer an amalgam of the programmes and projects being undertaken in a nation; rather, it states how all the households in the country shall have access to housing. Moreover, the households are viewed as partners in providing access, rather than simply as beneficiaries.

• Palestinian Research Centres

Effective Palestinian Research Centres need to be established in order to process, analyse and adapt national, regional and international experience in order to be able to respond effectively to present and future challenges. A Housing Observatory that will work on statistics and studies will be established in the near future with the assistance of Canada, which has agreed to establish and observatory on a similiar basis to what they have done in Egypt.

In this institutions of higher education and research have an important contribution to make to initiate and to sustain the institutional change, which is needed to support enabling shelter strategies. This contribution is not limited to the traditions of research and the education of new professionals but perhaps more importantly, includes the application of research and learning to the provision of training and advice.

Environment

The environmental problems Palestine faces are extensive. The main issues the Ministry of Housing and Public Works needs to concentrate are on environemntal planning and mangement, in the following areas:  1) air pollution; 2) solid waste management, sewage and clean water; 3) zoning; 4) noise pollution; 5) visual pollution: urban degradation, parks and vegetation; 6) transportation; 7) insect and vermin control; 8) archaelogial and historic sites; 9) coastal zones; and 10) agriculture.

Objectives:

·         A practical solution though costly is to use the rubble, to widen roads, on site and what cannot be used can be recycled intro gravel for many uses, either on site or trucked to recycling centres.

·         Environmental Management: In order to prote ct the environemnt in urban and rural areas and provide for a healthies and safer environement, a proffessional team should be established, preferably in each municipality. Such teams should co-ordinate their policies and operations with an environmental body created by the PNA. Rural areas that cannot afford to have a team of their own can use regional PNA environmental officials or environmental teams from nearby metropolitan areas. The role of such teams would be to assist a municipality or a village council manage its local environment within the guidelines that are initially set. Such guidelines should be open to the public and liable for review. People have a right to participate in the decision-making processes relating to their environment. This is actually not the responsibility of the Ministry, but will be taken into consideration in conjunction with Palestinian Environmental Authority.

·         The greening of government policies: Government policies at every level willshould be periodically reviewed to bring them in line with modern environmental strategies.

·         Codes, Standards and Specifications

Neither the large number of homes needed for Palestinians nor the substantial infrastructure required for both small and large towns can be built adequately without the development and implementation of Codes, Standards and Specifications (CSS) for construction. Building regulations in the Palestinian Territories have not been upgraded or revised since 1966. To fill this gap, a large amount of CSS documentation is needed, and certain issues must be prioritized to ensure immediate CSS requirements. This done in coordination with the municipalities as they are the ones granting the licences. At a policy level, the ministry is working with the Arab League, benefitting from the experience in other countries in the Arab world.

As the development of CSS needs a long time and extensive expertise, the Ministry of Housing and Social Works believes that before launching its reconstruction programme in the West Bank and Gaza, it needs to study the adoption of a CSS suitable for the prevailing conditions in the territories. Experts have recommended that the most suitable CSS documents are available in Jordan where environmental conditions, local building materials, methods of construction and other factors are similar to those of Palestine. This justifies the adoption of Jordanian CSS for immediate use by the Ministry.

An implementation process willneeds to be drafted by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, in order to ensure a successful adoption of CSS and its implementation method.

An extensive training programme concerning CSS development and implementation will beneeds to be initiated, in addition to training scheduled on the testing of building materials, methods of design and construction, quality controls and methods of building control.

Planning for Accessibility for the Disabled

Background: The two major causes for disability in Palestine are endogamous marriage and civil unrest.  The first is a common phenomena in all Arab countries and in all sectors of society, and results in all types of impairment. Disability due to civil unrest assumed a more prominent dimension with the outgrowth of the Intifada and the accompanying suppression, resulting in mainly physical disabilities among the younger age groups.

The overall objective of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works is a truly barrier-free environment that provides accessibility at all component of the environment, including building interiors, entry into building and external spaces. In this respect, the application of standards in planning and design can only help to make newly designed environments accessible. A more important issue is the rehabilitation of existing building needed to overcome barriers. This will require concerted efforts involving non-governmental and local organizations, together with the promotion of public awareness.

Objectives:

·         A National Strategy for Palestine: The recent drive towards reconstruction and institution building in Palestine represents a window of opportunity, which willshould be utilized to institutionalize the provision of a barrier-free environment.

·         Universal accessibility needs too be assured if it is dealt with throughout all components of the urban environment, including parking and vehicular approaches, pedestrian paths, approaches to building entrances, entrances to building and inside building.

·         All new construction will needs to adhere to accessibility standards set by the Ministry and the municipalities.

·         Accessibility standards, which have been devised for application in other parts of the region, such as Lebanon, who has also the effects of the recent civil war to take, need to be adopted.

·         Legislation in general, and building regulations in particular, will be made needs to be clearer, with in-built sections enforcing the implementation of a barrier-free environment in all new construction.

Long Term Objectives

·         Consolidate the PNA Housing Policy.

Established needed policies and put in place programmes and regulations needed to carry them out successfully.

·         Improve coordination and cooperations with all the actors involved.

Work along other governmental institutions and minsitries as for example, housing finance is governed by the Ministry of Finance and financial sector regulators such as the Palestinian Monetary Authority and Capital Markets authority, land is adminiteres by its own agnecy but the Ministry of Planning has a role to play in planning areas which are often implemented through the Ministry of Locan Governments.

Other long term objectives include:

·         For the housing market to function in an approopriate manner.

·         To gradually decrease ministry’s role and increase that of investment. For the Ministry not to be involved in housing schemes

·         To find a mechanism to provide for low cost hosuing. In particular to design special mechanisms that target socially marginalised groups and the poor strata and gives incentives to the private sector to take part in the construction of low cost housing

·         To settle all land registration issues.

·         Collateral – ask for collateral by the bank when borrowing H. Del soto argument,..

Energy Conservation

The energy consumption of a country depends on its economic activity, the availability of local energy resources and on the weather. Although both the West Bank and Gaza have relatively mild weather, most population centres need heating during the four months of winter and, to a lesser extent, air-conditioning and cooling during the long summers. The lack of local energy resources in Palestine has meant the need to import energy products at international prices, often with limited foreign currency resources.

Energy requirements can be reduced drastically through energy management. Buildings and new construction in the West Bank and Gaza must adopt energy efficiency and conservation techniques to reduce the burden of energy costs on the economy. Transport in urban and rural areas must also conserve energy for the same purpose, and to ensure a healthy environment in population centres.  It is not enough to impose measures through pricing and legislation that force consumers to conserve energy and improve efficiency of use. What is also important is to educate people to conserve energy with as little as possible disturbance to their welfare and productivity.

Objectives:

·         The Ministry will eEncourage technical assistance and training regarding energy conservation

·         The establishment of Energy Consumer Centers (ECCs) in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They would also help to reduce the need for investment in energy infrastructure and capital projects such as refineries and power stations. In addition, ECCs could help to lower the impact which energy utilization has on the local, regional and global environment.

·         Encourage at the ECCs activities such as: education and dissemination of energy consultants, education of the public, particularly school children, disseminate information about energy conservation and ogranise advocacy campaigns on the issues, hold specialized seminars for main users on efficient insulation in buildings, reducing fuel consumption of large transport trucks, etc.

The following are the projects being implemented at present by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

LOW COST HOUSING

Project: Construction of fifty residential units in Jenin

Location: Jenin governorate

Beneficiaries: Low-income population of Jenin

Estimated cost: USD 1.5 million

Donor: Dubai Emirate in coordination with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

Background: The Jenin governorate is located in the northern West Bank and has a total area of 583 km². It is characterized by being very poor, in addition to having witnessed a great deal of destruction throughout the Intifada years. Its estimated population is of 254,218 inhabitants and the unemployment rate is of 31.8%.

According to recent statistics, 57.9% of West Bank households are living below the poverty line, 51.8% have lost half their income during the past six months (March 2005), and 69.7% have been recognized as being in need of assistance.

Surveys show that housing comes as a last priority to the population, after food, money, jobs, and medication. This trend indicates the most urgent needs of people are for basic survival requirements.

In this context, the project aims at providing housing units that are low-cost structures and their related infrastructure so they are accessible to the low-income population.

Objectives: To build a residential compound in the Jenin governorate composed of fifty housing units of 120 m² each and their related infrastructure, in a total area of land of 6000 m².

Activities:

-       Study the socio-cultural aspects of the project

-       Review viability and feasibility of the project

-       Prepare design and tender documents

-       Building of the compound

Project status: Design and tendering

Project: Construction of fifty residential units in Qalqilia

Location: Qalqilia governorate

Beneficiaries: Low-income population of Qalqilia

Estimated cost: USD 1.6 million

Donor: Dubai Emirate in coordination with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

Background: The Qalqilia governorate is located in the north-western region of the West Bank, and comprises a total area of 166 km².

As is the case for other Palestinian cities and governorates, Qalqilia has witnessed a great deal of destruction and economic recession throughout the Intifada years. It is a very poor area, with an estimated population of 94,210 inhabitants, and an unemployment rate of 30.1%.

According to recent statistics, 57.9% of West Bank households are living below the poverty line, 51.8% have lost half their income during the past six months (March 2005), and 69.7% have been recognized as being in need of assistance.

Surveys show that housing comes as a last priority to the population, after food, money, jobs and medication. This trend indicates the most urgent needs of people are for basic survival requirements.

In this context, the project aims at providing housing for the low-income population as a housing policy initiative. The residential compound is to be made up of residential units that are low-cost structures accessible to the low-income population.

Objectives: To build a residential compound of fifty residential units of 120 m² each in the Qalqilia governorate with related infrastructure and a public building, in a total area of land of 4669 m². The public building will house a clinic and a kindergarten.

Activities:

-       Study the socio-cultural aspects of the project

-       Review viability and feasibility of the project

-       Prepare design and tender documents

-       Building of the compound and public building

Project status: Design and tendering

REHABILITATION - WEST BANK

Project: Rehabilitation of destroyed houses

Location: West Bank and Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Palestinian families whose houses were destroyed

Estimated cost: CAD 5 million

Donor: Government of Canada

Background: The Palestinian territories have a population of 3,762,005 people in total, distributed between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Systematic demolitions of buildings and homes were an increasingly common practice carried out by the Israeli military forces since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000, though they have ceased since the beginning of 2005. In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the total number of buildings that have been damaged is 73,567. This figure is further divided into 65,344 buildings that have been partially damaged, and 7,633 that have been completely destroyed. In addition, 175 public buildings were damaged, as well as 415 security buildings.

These figures are testimony to the fact that the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are in urgent need of rehabilitation and reconstruction. Many families have been left homeless and unemployment rates are on the rise, averaging of 26.5% in the Palestinian territory.

Rehabilitation will not only provide new homes, but it will also be a source of employment-days and income for many families.

Objectives:

-       Rehabilitation of destroyed houses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

-       Creation of working days

Activities:

-       Preparation and planning for project

-       Rehabilitation of destroyed houses

Project status: Under preparation and study

Project: Rehabilitation of partially or completely destroyed houses and properties

Location: West Bank and Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Public facilities and owners of private properties that have been affected by Israeli damage and demolition practices.

Estimated cost: USD 5 million

Donor: Islamic Development Bank – Al Aqsa Fund

Background: Due to Israeli demolition practices, many homes, as well as public and private properties, have been irreparably damaged or completely destroyed as part of alleged Israeli security measures. As a consequence, people affected by these practices have been left homeless or live in deplorable conditions, and public facilities are no longer suitable to offer their intended services.

Over 65,344 buildings have been partially damaged since September 2000, and the number of buildings completely destroyed is over 7,633 (June 2005).

Rehabilitation and repair are essential to provide the population with an improved quality of life and basic needs.

Objectives: The project is intended to rehabilitate and rebuild private properties, infrastructure, and public facilities that have been damaged by repeated Israeli military forces attacks on the West Bank and Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000.

Activities:

-       Data collection of damage

-       Civil work that comprises efforts to rebuild, rehabilitate, and restore houses, buildings, and properties.

-       Reparation of roads, infrastructure, and public facilities that have been affected by Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

-       Consultation services

Project status: June 2005

Completed sub-projects:

§  5 sub-projects concentrated on public buildings (USD 0.3 million)

§  19 sub-projects comprising private properties, of which 791 were partially destroyed and 12 were demolished or considerably damaged (USD 1.42 million)

Sub-projects underway:

§  2 sub-projects aimed at rehabilitation of security buildings in Gaza and the Middle area, respectively (USD 0.68 million)

§  14 sub-projects for private buildings, of which 1,069 were partially destroyed and 46 had been demolished or considerably damaged (USD 1.16 million)

To be proposed:

§   Phase one of the rehabilitation of the Security building in Betunia (USD 0.15 million)

§   7 sub-projects to repair 111 partially destroyed buildings and 8 considerably damaged or destroyed houses (USD 0.35 million)

REHABILITATION – GAZA STRIP

Project: Rehabilitation of totally or partially destroyed residential units

Location: Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Palestinian people whose homes have been demolished

Estimated cost: USD 9.5 million

Donor: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Background: The Gaza Strip has an area of 365 km², and a population of 1,389,789. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Furthermore, 70% of its population is composed of refugees living in refugee camps that have an even higher population density than other areas of the Gaza Strip.

In the Gaza Strip alone, a total of 28,709 buildings have been damaged since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000. Partially damaged buildings amount to 23,561, while 4,778 buildings were completely destroyed. In addition, 30 were public buildings and 340 security buildings.

Due to the different levels of damage done to homes, over 28,000 Palestinians have been left homeless. Furthermore, 60% of the labor force in the Gaza Strip is unemployed.

It is important to note that the Gaza Strip has limited resources and soaring levels of poverty, conditions that have been worsened by its long-term isolation. There is severe negligence, as well as lacking of institutional set-up, to remedy the Strip's problems. These facts highlight the need for assistance in order to address urgent issues affecting the population, as is for instance the case of homeless families.

In addition, USAID is to rehabilitate damaged access roads and implement a number of projects of rehabilitation for some schools in the Gaza Strip through the Ministry of Education, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

Objectives:

-       Rehabilitation of 150 totally destroyed private properties

-       Rehabilitation of 6,077 partially destroyed private properties

-       Completion and infrastructure works for existing housing projects

-       Creation of approximately 269,300 working days for the unemployed

Activities:

-       Preparation of list of private properties in need of rehabilitation

-       Rehabilitation of partially or completely destroyed housing units

-       Provision of infrastructure for existing housing projects

Project status:

-        List of properties to be rehabilitated prepared

-        Ready for implementation

RECONSTRUCTION

Project: Reconstruction of Rafah – The Emirates Quarter

Location: Rafah – Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Rafah population whose houses have been destroyed during Israeli military practices. Priority will be given to those whose houses were demolished during 'Operation Rainbow', May 2004, and after.

Estimated cost: USD 17 million

Donor: United Arab Emirates Red Crescent

Background: The Rafah governorate is located in the southern Gaza Strip and has an area of 64 km². Rafah's total estimated population, including refugees, is of 165,240 people, and the population density is of 2,582 people per km².

Rafah is the part of the Gaza Strip that borders with Egypt. This has been used as an excuse for Israeli military forces to carry out multiple attacks on this area and to demolish many homes for alleged security reasons. In constructing the Philadelphia corridor with the excuse of preventing smuggling between Egypt and Gaza through underground tunnels, for example, they have rendered many families homeless, since the land they occupied was needed for the corridor.

Smuggling was one of the reasons behind what is known as 'Operation Rainbow', which took place in the Gaza Strip, more specifically in the Zeitoun neighborhood and in Rafah, and which began on May 18, 2004, and ended May 24 of the same year.

During this operation, which was launched as a response to the killing of 13 Israeli soldiers, many houses were demolished and Palestinian civilians and refugees were killed. The aim of this operation was stated to be "destroying terrorist infrastructure in Rafah, destroying smuggling tunnels, and stopping illegal missile shipment."

Since September 2000, a total of 2,991 homes have been destroyed in Gaza. Furthermore, in Rafah 3,337 families have been rendered homeless, of which 1,500 are refugee families. During 'Operation Rainbow' alone, 56 Palestinians were killed, more than 200 injured, 200 houses were completely destroyed, and 140 partially damaged, leaving 4,847 people homeless. All this summed up to the damage that has been witnessed in the Palestinian territories since the beginning of the Intifada to properties, public facilities, and lives of Palestinians.

Objectives: This project aims at constructing 638 housing units in an area of land of 99,000 m². These housing units are to be built by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing with the appropriate infrastructure and public services. The latter include a primary boys' school, a primary girls' school, a mosque, a clinic, a kindergarten, and a commercial centre.

Activities:

-       Management and implementation in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing

-       Appointment of a higher committee to distribute houses according to need priorities

Project status:

-       Land has been allocated for the project

-       A consultant has been contracted by the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Society

-       The founding stone will be laid after Israeli withdrawal is completed

RE-HOUSING

Project: Re-housing families with demolished homes

Location: Khan Younis – Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Families from Khan Younis and Rafah with demolished homes

Estimated cost: USD 10 million to be divided as follows:

-       USD 5 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

-       USD 5 million to Palestinian Ministry of Public Works and Housing through United Nations Development Programme/ Programme of Assistance for the Palestinian People (UNDP/ PAPP)

Donor: Government of Japan

Background: The Khan Younis governorate occupies an area of 108 km², and has an estimated population of 269,601, of which 62,496 are registered refugees. Population density is of 2,496 persons per squared kilometer.

This area, as many others, has been greatly affected by Israeli attacks, which have damaged people's lives and properties. A total of 8,315 buildings have been damaged in Khan Younis since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000. Of these, 7,430 have been partly damaged and 885 completely destroyed. As a consequence, many Palestinian families have been left homeless and are in need of appropriate housing. Consequently, this area has been chosen for the implementation of this re-housing project.

The new housing units, which are to be constructed by UNRWA and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing over a period of 12 months, are meant to provide refugee and non-refugee families, respectively, with better living conditions, public facilities, and infrastructure of water, sanitation, roads, and electricity.

The total number of housing units that will be constructed by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in coordination with UNDP/ PAPP is of 200, to house 122 non-refugee families from Khan Younis and 78 from Rafah. These housing units are to be arranged in three-floor buildings, each flat having an approximate area of 110 m².

The number of housing units to be built by UNRWA is of 108, which will in turn house homeless refugee families.

           

Objectives:

-       Re-housing families whose houses were demolished in Khan Younis and Rafah

-       Creating working days

Activities:

-       Building 308 housing units

-       Construction of appropriate infrastructure

Project status: Pending signing of agreement.

Project: Re-housing non-refugee families with demolished homes

Location: Rafah – Southern Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: 300 families whose homes have been demolished in Rafah

Estimated cost: USD 9.6 million

Donor: Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People through the United Nations Development Programme/ Programme of Assistance for the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP)

Background: The Rafah governorate, with an area of 64 km², is located south of the Gaza Strip and has an estimated population of 165,420 people.

Rafah has been known to be a conflict zone between Israeli military forces and Palestinians. Due to its location, Rafah has been attacked by Israeli military forces based on accusations of smuggling of weapons from Egypt through underground tunnels, as well as the presence of Palestinian fighters. This has not only left many dead, wounded, and handicapped, but it has also meant the destruction and considerable damage to houses, public properties, and infrastructure with the purpose of creating a de-populated buffer zone along the border at the expense of Palestinian citizen and refugee homes.

In Rafah alone, 11,250 buildings have been damaged or destroyed since September 2000. Many refugee families have been left homeless, but non-refugees have also seen themselves affected.

The 300 units to be constructed will be arranged in three-floor buildings, along with the appropriate infrastructure, as well as a mosque and a secondary school. All this is to be done over a period of 18 months to benefit approximately 2,100 people. The site layout and designs have already been prepared by UNDP/PAPP and UNRWA.

The distribution of these units will be done through the Saudi Committee and coordinated with the parties concerned.

This project is in line with a similar project to re-house refugee families, which is to be implemented by UNRWA.

Objectives:

-       To build 300 housing units in Rafah for non-refugee families who have lost their homes during Israeli military practices.

-       Create approximately 150,000 work-days

Activities:

-       Site layout and designs

-       Building 300 re-housing units

-       Constructing of infrastructure of roads, water, and sanitation

-       Constructing of facilities, namely secondary school and mosque

Project status: Pending signing of agreement

REFUGEES

Project: Re-housing refugee families with demolished homes

Location: Rafah – Southern Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Refugees in Rafah who have lost their homes during Israeli demolition operations in the town's refugee camps since the beginning of the Intifada in 2000.

Estimated cost:  Around USD 20 million

Donor: Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)

Background: In Gaza, the majority of the population is composed of refugees. The Rafah governorate, with an area of 64 km², has a population of 165,240 people, of which 93,277 people are registered refugees living in refugee camps.

Even though house demolitions have been halted since the beginning of 2005, in Rafah alone they have left 3,337 families homeless, of which 1,500 are refugee families.

While these refugee families wait to be re-housed, UNRWA has provided them with emergency assistance such as tents, blankets, kitchen utensils, food parcels, and rental subsidies.

Through the SFD, it is expected that building 950 housing units will not only provide families with homes and public facilities, but also with employment days for the unemployed.

Site layout and designs have already been prepared by UNRWA and UNDP/PAPP, and the project is expected to be completed over a period of 18 months.

This project is in coordination with a similar project to re-house non-refugee families, which is to be implemented by UNDP/PAPP.

Objectives: To build 950 housing units in Rafah, along with the needed infrastructure and public facilities for education, health, and social services.

In addition, the implementation of this re-housing project will generate employment days to help alleviate the burden created by the high unemployment rates in the Gaza Strip and will stimulate the economic sector.

Activities:

-       Site layout and design

-       Contracting consulting firm

-       Providing engineering and civil services

-       Implementing project: Infrastructure, public facilities, and housing units

Project status:

-       98 dunums of land have been allocated for the project in Rafah

-       The founding stone will be laid after Israeli withdrawal is completed

POST – DISENGAGEMENT

Project: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Township

Location: In place of the Morag settlement, between the Khan Younis and Rafah provinces – Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Palestinian people

Estimated cost: USD 100 million

Donor: United Arab Emirates

Background: The area designated for the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Township runs through the administrative borders of both Rafah and Khan Younis provinces. This land, which is not part of what is recognized as natural reserves, offers the needed infrastructure to construct the housing units, and its location if beneficial for economy and trade.

The land is viable, both geologically and technically, for the construction of the housing units. Public transport is accessible and it is close to the industrial area west of Rafah, which could also be a source of employment for the inhabitants of Sheikh Khalifa Township. In addition, health services are available in the close-by European hospital and social interaction is possible with inhabitants of Rafah and Khan Younis.

Objectives: To construct 3,500 housing units on government land. The construction of this Township would provide employment days to help remedy the high unemployment rate that has reached 35.6% in the Gaza Strip alone, as well as provide homes for Palestinians with access to infrastructure and public facilities.

Activities:

-       Design preparation

-       Negotiation with United Arab Emirates on implementation mechanisms

-       Preparation of beneficiaries' lists

-       Actual project implementation

Project status: Founding stone to be laid after Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is completed.

Project: Sheikh Zayed Township (Second Stage)

Location: Beit Lahya – Gaza Strip

Beneficiaries: Palestinian people

Estimated cost: USD 190 million

Donor: United Arab Emirates

Background: Beit Lahya is a locality in the Northern Gaza governorate and has a population of 56,929 people.

The Northern Gaza governorate, with an area of 61 km², has also been affected by Israeli demolition practices, and a total of 3,811 buildings have been damaged since September 2000. These numbers encompass 3,295 partly damaged buildings, 500 destroyed buildings, and 16 public buildings.

The second phase of the Sheikh Zayed Township will have 2,772 housing units distributed in 77 buildings of 12 floors each. The area covered by this township is of 527,000 m² between the first and second phases.

Housing units are meant to benefit Palestinians with difficulties, whether these were created by the demolition or irreparable damage of their homes, or by social conditions, such as poverty, imprisoned relatives, and illnesses, among others.

The second phase of the Sheikh Zayed Township comes as a continuation to the first phase, which provided with 736 housing units, their infrastructure, and public facilities. The latter include a mosque, schools, commercial and cultural centers, playgrounds, and a community clinic.

Objectives:

-       To secure housing, related infrastructure, and access to public services, for Palestinian families in need, especially those who have limited or low income.

-       Create working-days to help alleviate the high unemployment rate

-       Help revive the economic sector in Palestine

-       Improve social and housing conditions

Activities:

-       Contracting consultation firm

-       Designing in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing

-       Building of the housing units with their related infrastructure

Project status:

-       First phase was completed and Township inaugurated

-       Housing units completed in the first phase were distributed

-       Second phase to begin implementation

Ministry of Public Works and Housing
Devlopment Program 2006 - 2008
No.	Project Name	Sector	Region	Duration [Years]	Investment [USM$]			Total Budget [USM$ ]	Status		Comments
					2006	2007	2008
I- Road Development Program:
1	Road Development Program	Roads	WBG	3	110,00	110,00	110,00	330,00
Sub Total (Damage Repair Program)					110,00	110,00	110,00	330,00
II- Construction and Maintenance of Public Buildings:
1	Construction of the Complex of Ministries in Ramallah	P-Build	Ramallah	3	9,00	8,00	8,00	25,00
2	Construction of the National Park at Al Ersal in Ramallah	P-Build	Ramallah	3	6,00	6,00	3,00	15,00
3	Maintenance and rehabilitation and upgrading of existing public buildings	P-Build	WBG	3	5,00	5,00	5,00	15,00
4	Finishing and Equipping of the Material Lab. In Beitunia	P-Build	Ramallah	1	0,30	0,00	0,00	0,30
Sub Total (Construction and Maintenance of Public Buildings)					20,30	19,00	16,00	55,30
III- Damage Repair Program:
1	Rehabilitation and reconstruction of totally damaged private buildings	Hous.	WBG	3	20,00	20,00	20,00	60,00
2	Rehabilitation and reconstruction of partially damaged private buildings	Hous.	WBG	1	6,00	0,00	0,00	6,00
3	Rehabilitation and reconstruction of public buildings	P-Build	WBG	1	5,00	0,00	0,00	5,00
4	Rehabilitation and reconstruction of security buildings	S-Build	WBG	1	20,00	20,00	20,00	60,00
No.	Project Name	Sector	Region	Duration [Years]	Investment [USM$]			Total Budget [USM$ ]	Status		Comments
					2006	2007	2008
5	Rehabilitation of damaged roads	Roads	WBG	3	15,00	10,00	0,00	25,00
Sub Total (Damage Repair Program)					66,00	50,00	40,00	156,00
IV- Construction of Housing Projects, Infrastructures for Housing Projects. Private Sector and housing Projects
1	Construction of 496 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Beit Ula in Hebron	Hous	Hebron	3	4,00	4,00	3,32	11,33
2	Construction of 36 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Artass/ Beithlehem	Hous	Beithlehem	1	1,50	0,00	0,00	1,50
3	Construction of 1156 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Ramalah (Al-Arabi Housing Project)	Hous	Ramallah	3	15,00	15,00	14,24	44,24
4	Construction of 480 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Deir Dibwan/ Ramallah	Hous	Ramallah	3	6,00	6,00	4,11	16,11
5	Construction of 175 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Aldyouk/ Jericho	Hous	Jericho	2	3,00	2,95	0,00	5,95
6	Construction of 125 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in AlOuja Jericho	Hous	Jericho	2	0,00	2,36	2,00	4,36
7	Construction of 100 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Beit Wazan/ Nablus	Hous	Nablus	2	2,50	2,50	0,00	5,00
No.	Project Name	Sector	Region	Duration [Years]	Investment [USM$]			Total Budget [USM$ ]	Status	Comments
					2006	2007	2008
8	Construction of 203 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Agnesenia/ Nablus	Hous	Nablus	2	3,00	2,46	0,00	5,46
9	Construction of 66 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Kufur Sour/ Tulkarem	Hous	Tulkarem	1	0,00	0,00	1,82	1,82
10	Construction of 600 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Burqeen/ Jenin	Hous	Jenin	1	9,00	9,00	8,74	26,74
11	Construction of 50 residential units for the low-incom people with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities.	Hous	Qalqilia	1	1,5	0,00	0,00	1,50
12	Construction of 50 residential units for the low-incom people with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities	Hous	Nablus	1	1,5	0,00	0,00	1,50
13	Construction of 100 residential units for the low-incom people with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Tubas	Hous	Tubas	1	3,5	0,00	0,00	3,50
14	Construction of 100 residential units for people with special needs the with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Tubas	Hous	Hebron	1	3,4	0,00	0,00	3,40
15	Infrastructures for Housing Projects in West Bank	Hous	West Bank	1	3,00	0,00	0,00	3,00
16	Indivisual housing loans project	Hous	Jerusalem	3	3,00	2,00	0,00	5,00		MPWH and PHC
No.	Project Name	Sector	Region	Duration [Years]	Investment [USM$]			Total Budget [USM$ ]	Status	Comments
					2006	2007	2008
17	Rural Loans	Hous	WB	3	2,00	2,00	1,00	5,00		MPWH and PHC
18	Land, services	Hous	WB	2	1,00	1,00	0,00	2,00		MPWH and PHC
19	Construction of 150 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in AlEzerieh / Jerusalem	Hous	Jerusalem	3	2,00	1,50	1,30	4,80
20	Construction of 150 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Abu Dees / Jerusalem	Hous	Jerusalem	3	2,00	1,50	1,16	4,66
21	Construction of 64 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities in Mikhmas/ Jerusalem	Hous	Jerusalem	1	1,97	0,00	0,00	1,97
22	Construction of 48 residential units with all required infrastructures, utilitites and public facilities inAnata/Jerusalem	Hous	Jerusalem	1	0,00	1,70	0,00	1,70
23	Construction of Jerusalem Housing Project (200 Units)	Hous	Jerusalem	3	6,00	7,00	7,00	20,00		MPWH and PHC
24	Rehabilitation of houses in the old city of Jerusalem	Hous	Jerusalem	2	1,00	1,00	0,00	2,00		MPWH and PHC
25	Rehabilitation of houses for the low-income group.	Hous	Jerusalem	1	1,00	0,00	0,00	1,00		MPWH and PHC
26	Rehabilitetion of Houses in Jerusalem	Hous	Jerusalem	3	1,00	1,00	1,00	3,00		MPWH and PHC
27	Supporting the Cooperative Housing Societies	Hous	Jerusalem	3	3,00	3,00	2,00	8,00		MPWH and PHC
28	Indivisual housing loans project	Hous	Jerusalem	3	2,00	2,00	0,00	4,00		MPWH and PHC
No.	Project Name	Sector	Region	Duration [Years]	Investment [USM$]			Total Budget [USM$ ]	Status	Comments
					2006	2007	2008
29	City of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Rafah	Hous	Rafah	3				18,72
30	Emirates Destrict in Rafah which consists of 638 residential units	Hous	Rafah	3				15,00
31	Sheikh Zayed City in Beit Lahia (second phase)	Hous	Beit Lahia	3				190,00
32	Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayed City in Khanyounis (3000 Residential Units)	Hous	Khanyounis	3				100,00
33	Commercial Project in AlZara'a city	Hous	Gaza	3				15,00
34	AlFokhari Housing Project	Hous		2				2,70
35	Al Naser Housing Project in Rafah	Hous	Khanyounis	1				1,00
36	AlFerdaws Destrict	Hous	Beit Lahia	3				5,00
37	Japanese Destrict	Hous	Rafah					7,37
38	Completion of AlZahra'a Hosing Project (Tower C)	Hous						1,00
39	Completion of AlNeda housing project	Hous	North Gaza					0,18
40	Develoment of Beer Alna'jah Housing Project	Hous	North Gaza					3,00
41	Rehabilitation and Completion of Austrian Housing Project in Khanyounis	Hous	Khanyounis					2,00
42	Finishing Works for Olayboon Tower	Hous	North Gaza					1,00
43	Alzahra'a City	Hous						1,80
44	Rehabilitation of houses of low- income people in West Bank and Gaza	Hous	West Bank and Gaza	1	2,00			2,00		MPWH and PHC
Sub Total (Housing Projects)								564,31
No.	Project Name	Sector	Region	Duration [Years]	Investment [USM$]			Total Budget [USM$ ]	Status	Comments
					2006	2007	2008
V- Job Cereation Proram:
1	Job Creation Proram		WB	1	10,00	10,00	10,00	30,00
Sub Total (Job Creation)					10,00	10,00	10,00	30,00
VI- Capacity Builduing at the Ministry:
1	Establishment of a Roads Maintenance Management System including the installation of GIS	Cap. Build.	WBG	2	0,50	0,50	0,00	1,00
2	Establishing and eqquipping a material labaratory at the Ministry in Ramallah	Cap. Build.	Ramallah	1	0,30	0,00	0,00	0,30
3	Development of the material labaratory at the Ministry in Gaza	Cap. Build.	Gz	1	0,15	0,00	0,00	0,15
4	Furnishing the library of the Ministry in Gaza	Cap. Build.	Gz	2	0,05	0,00	0,00	0,05
5	Development and Updating of the Maps and plans of Gaza	Cap. Build.	Gz	2	0,15	0,15	0,00	0,30
6	Establishment of the Natioal Urban Monitor	Cap. Build.	Gz		0,40	0,40	0,00	0,80
Sub Total (Capacity Building)								2,60
Grand Total								1138,21

Ministry of Public Works and Housing
(Development Plan 2006-2008)
List of Proposed Road Projects for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
S. NO.	Project		Location	Length (km)

Estimated Cost (Million USD)

Priority

Type of Works

1- Main Roads:

1

Jabaa Intersection to Deir Sharaf
Road (R No 60)

Jenin-Nablus

18,0

5,00

1

Reconstruction, Project will be Implemented in Stages

2

Nablus - Jenin Highway

Nablus-Jenin

34,0

100

1

Land aquestion, construction of a new Highway.

3

Nablus - Deir Sharaf Road

Nablus

6,0

1,50

1

Widenning and Rehabilitation

4

Nablus - Al-Badhan Road

Nablus

10,0

1,50

1

Reconstruction

5

Ramallah - Nablus Main Road

Ramallah-Nablus

45,0

40,00

1

Rehabilitation Widenning and upgrading

6

Wadi An-Nar Main Road

Bethlehem

12,0

20,00

1

Construction Two Main Roads, Project will be Implemented in Stages

7

Rehabilitation of Al Shajjaeieh Entrance Road

Gaza

1,2

0,30

1

Rihabilitation

8

Widening The Eastern Gaza Bridge on Salah Al Deen Road

Gaza

0,1

2,50

1

Widenning the Existing Bridge

9

Road No. 4 From Al-Shohada' Int. to Beit Lahiya intersection (The Eastrern Road)

Gaza

11,3

4,00

1

Widenning and upgrading the intersections

10

The Coastal road from Khan Younis to Rafah section.

Khan Younis-Rafah

10,0

10,00

1

Reconstruction and upgrading

11

The Coastal road from Khan Younis to Beit Lahya.

Gaza

32,0

60,00

2

Reconstruction & Widenning and upgrading

12

Airport road

Rafah

2,5

2,50

2

Construction of dual road

13

Hebron - Jericho Road ( eastem Road )

Hebron
Jericho

23,0

12,00

3

New Construction, Project will be Implemented in Stages

Sub Total (Main Roads)

205,1

259,3

S. NO.

Project

Location

Length
(km)

Estimated Cost (Million USD)

Priority

Type of Works

2- Regional Roads:

1

Illar - Kufr Raa'i - Aija Road

Jenin

11,0

1,50

1

Widenning and Rehabilitation

2

Qabateah- Ezabadeh -Aqaba-Tubas- Road

Jenin

12,0

2,00

1

Widenning and Rehabilitation

3

Tulkaram - Al-Kafriyat Road

Tulkarm

12,0

2,00

1

Rehabilitation Widenning and upgrading

4

Ezbet Salman-Int. at k.Thuluth-Saniriya

Qalqilya

5,0

0,5

1

Reconstruction

5

Al Nabi Saleh- Kufur Ein Road

Ramallah

5,0

0,60

1

Widenning and Rehabilitation

6

Khrbatha Beni Hareth - Deir Qedis Road

Ramallah

3,0

0,40

1

Rehabilitation

7

Beit O'ur-Saffa Road

Ramallah

4,0

0,50

1

Widenning and Rehabilitation

8

Jericho - Al Taibeh Road

Jericho

12,0

4,00

1

Widenning and Rehabilitation

9

Sa'eer-Toqoa'-Zaatra- Beit Sahour Road

Hebron
Bethlehem

12,0

5,00

1

Rehabilitation Widenning and upgrading

10

Soureef - Jaba'h Road

Hebron

4,0

0,45

1

Reconstruction

11

Al Tuffah to the Sea Coast

Khan Younis

2,5

1,20

2

Reconstruction

12

Tal Al Sultan- Al Bahar Road

Rafah

3,5

1,00

2

Rihabilitation and repair

13

Eastern Road from Al Montar Intr. To Al Shuhada Intr.

Khan Younis-Rafah

4,4

0,70

2

Rehabilitation

14

Al Shohada Intr to the Costal road

Gaza

3,5

0,70

2

Rehabilitation

15

Rafah - Khan Younis Western road

Khan Younis-Rafah

8,0

10,00

2

Reconstruction

16

Abu El 'Ajin road ( from Al Qarara - Al Breij)

Middle Gaza

7,0

3,5

2

upgrading and reconstruction

17

Salfit - Kherbet Qais Road

Nablus

3,5

0,50

2

Reconstruction

18

Azzoun-Kufr Jammal Road

Qalqilya

8,5

1,00

2

Rehabilitation Widenning and upgrading

19

Deir Balout - Rafat - Al Zaweh Road

Qalqilya

6,0

0,70

2

Reconstruction

20

Sinjel - Jiligliya-Abween Road

Ramallah

9,0

0,80

2

Rehabilitation

S. NO.

Project

Location

Length
(km)

Estimated Cost (Million USD)

Priority

Type of Works

21

Beer Zeit-Atara Road

Ramallah

5,0

0,60

2

Rehabilitation

22

Dura- AlFawar Int. Road

Hebron

3,0

0,50

2

Rehabilitation

23

Dahriyeh - Al Ramadeen Road

Hebron

3,0

0,40

2

Reconstruction

24

Jericho - Al Dyyuk Road

Jericho

2,0

0,7

2,0

Widenning and Rehabilitation

Sub Total ( Regional Roads)

146,9

39,3

3- Local Roads:

1

Al Aqqabeh link road

Jenin

2,0

0,20

1

Construction

2

Zaboba Road

Jenin

2,0

0,20

1

Reconstruction

3

Jenin - Haifa Main Road (2nd phase)

Jenin

7,0

1,00

1

Reconstruction, Project will be Implemented in Stages

4

Qusra - Talfeet Road

Nablus

4,0

0,55

1

Reconstruction

5

Salfit-Broqeen Road

Nablus Salfit

8,0

0,80

1

New Construction

6

Sera - Beit Wazen Road

Nablus

4,0

0,40

1

New Construction

7

Ektaba -Balaa Road

Tulkarm

4,0

0,40

1

Reconstruction

8

Dora Elkarea - Ain Yabrood Road

Ramallah

3,0

0,35

1

Rehabilitation

9

Elebeedieh - Deir Mar Saba Road

Bethlehem

6,0

0,70

1

Rehabilitation
Design Drawings available

10

Emirate quarter - Salah Addin road

Rafah

2,0

2,00

2

Reconstruction

11

link roads ( Emirate Quarter - Sheikh Khalefeh city -Rafah)

Rafah

8,0

8,00

2

Construction

12

Jabaa-Beit Emreen

Jenin

6,0

0,60

2

Construction

13

Taenek-Taybeh-Anin

Jenin

4,0

0,40

2

Reconstruction

14

Anza - Sanour Road

Jenin

2,0

0,25

2

New Construction

15

Arabah Int.-Merkeh - Jarbah Int.

Jenin

4,5

0,50

2

Widenning and Rehabilitation

16

Broqeen-Kafer Al Deek Road

Nablus - Salfit

4,0

0,40

2

Reconstruction

17

Kufur Qaddoum Access Road

Nablus

3,0

0,30

2

Reconstruction

S. NO.

Project

Location

Length
(km)

Estimated Cost (Million USD)

Priority

Type of Works

18

Bureen-Madama-Aseera AlQabliyeh Road

Nablus

6,0

0,60

2

Widenning and Rehabilitation

19

Jaba' - Beit Emreen Road

Nablus

6,0

0,70

2

Reconstruction

20

Tulkaram - Kufr Allabad Road

Tulkarm

4,5

0,40

2

Rehbilitation

21

Shoufeh Acces Road

Tulkarm

3,0

0,30

2

Reconstruction

22

Bala'- Ajja Road

Tulkarm-Jenin

5,5

0,60

2

New Construction

23

Hableh - Beit Amin Road

Qalqilya

3,5

0,40

2

Widenning and Rehabilitation

24

Silwad-Deir Jareer-Al Taibeh Road

Ramallah

5,0

0,60

2

Rehabilitation

25

Deir Jarir-Kufr Malik-A'in Samya Road

Ramallah

7,7

0,70

2

Rehbilitation

26

Aseera Al-Shamaliya-Beit Emreen Road

Nablus

6,0

0,60

3

Reconstruction

27

Bala'- Deir Al-Ghosoon Road

Tulkarm

5,0

0,40

3

Reconstruction

28

Al Shawawreh Road

Bethlehem

4,0

0,55

3

Rehbilitation

Sub Total ( Local Roads)

129,7

22,90

4- Rural and Agricultural Roads

1

Rural and Agricultural Roads

WB

8,50

Grand Total (Development of Roads)

330,0

---

[1][1]   The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), adopted by UNGA resolution 217(A) on 10 December 1948. Article 25(1) states: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control". The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), adopted by UNGA resolution 2106A(XX), entered into force on 4 January 1969. Article 5(e) (iii) states: "In compliance with the fundamental obligations laid down in article 2 of this Convention, States Parties undertake to prohibit and eliminate racial discrimination in all of its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, colour, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the following rights:...(e) in particular...(iii) the right tohousing". The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), adopted by UNGA resolution 34/180 on 18 December 1979, entered into force on 3 September 1981. Article 14(2)(h) states: "States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in rural areas in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, that they participate in and benefit from rural development and, in particular, shall ensure to such women the right...(h) to enjoy adequate living conditions, particularly in relation to housing, sanitation, electricity and water supply, transport and communications". The International Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), adopted by UNGA resolution 44/25 on 20 November 1989, entered into force on 2 September 1990. Article 27(3) states: "States Parties in accordance with national conditions and within their means shall take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for the child to implement this right and shall in the case of need provide material assistance and support programmes, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing". The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) adopted by UNGA resolution 429(V) on 28 July 1951, entered into force on 22 April 1954. Article 21 states: As regards housing, the Contracting States, in so far as the matter is regulated by laws or regulations or is subject to the control of public authorities, shall accord refugees lawfully staying in their territory treatment as favourable as possible, and in any event, not less favourable than that accorded to aliens generally in the same circumstances. 

[2]   See, for instance: "General Comment No. 4 on the Right to Adequate Housing (article 11(1) of the Covenant)", adopted by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at its sixth session (1991), UN doc. E/C.12/1991/4, pp. 114-120; P. Alston and G. Quinn, "The Nature and Scope of States Parties' Obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights", in: Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 9(2), May 1987, pp. 156-229; and S. Leckie, "The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Right to Adequate Housing: Towards an Appropriate Approach", in: Human Rights Quarterly vol. 11(4), (November 1989), pp. 522-560.