Palestinian Housing Council F R O M H O P E T O S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y Palestinian Housing Council B. O. Box 1433 Ramallah Palestine Tel: +970 (0)

Palestinian Housing Council F R O M H O P E T O S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

Palestinian Housing CouncilB. O. Box 1433 RamallahPalestine

Tel: +970 (0) 2 2415891/2Fax: +970 (0) 2 2415893Email: [email protected]

www.phc-pal.org

PR

EFA

CE

PALESTINIAN HOUSING COUNCIL F R O M H O P E T O S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

The Palestinian Housing Council (PHC) was established in Jerusalem in 1991 as a non-profit institution dedicated to helping alleviate the problem of housing, and contributing the development of the housing sector, in addition to overcoming the housing problems.

PHC was awarded UN-habitat Scroll of Honor Award 2007 for exceptional endeavors in helping provide homes, employment prospects and bringing new hope to countless Palestinian families. Also, PHC won Dubai International Award for Best Practices 2008.

WH

Y?


About 3.5 Million Palestinian inhabitants in the West Bank and Gaza suffer the lack of natural area expansion due to Israeli occupation. This situation pushes up the prices of lands within the master plan for these areas, beside the economic and social crises related, leads to crowdedness of buildings and lack of affordable houses that consequently exacerbated the housing crisis especially among low and middle-income families in terms of physical and functional status.

WHY?

WH

EN

? H

OW

?


PHC was registered in Jerusalem as a private non-profit organization in 1991. It was also registered in the Palestinian Interior Ministry in 1997.

Consistent with the need to fill the existing gap in many vital sectors in Palestine as a result of the Israeli occupation’s policy, a number of national figures initiated research on the possibility of creating a Palestinian body to deal with the Palestinian housing sector. As result, The Palestinian Housing Council (PHC) was established.

WHEN?

HOW?

WH

ER

E?

WH

AT

FO

R?


PHC was established in Jerusalem. Two main branch offices were established besides the main office in Jerusalem, one to follow up work in the West Bank and the other to follow up work in the Gaza Strip.

PHC aims to contribute to solve the housing crisis by providing low and middle income Palestinian families with the opportunity for adequate housing through soft loans. In addition to, supporting the local housing associations and preparing housing studies to contribute solve housing problems and putting future vision.

WHERE?

WHAT FOR?

OB

JEC

TIV

ES


To minimize the housing crisis among low and middle income families by providing them with long term soft loans and the construction of low cost housing units.

To contribute to the lessening of poverty among Palestinian families through improving their housing environment.

To identify appropriate mechanisms to meet the basic housing needs of the Palestinian community.

To participate along with national and international organizations in the formulation of a national Palestinian housing strategy.

To develop sustainable housing programs and policies along with line agencies in Palestine.

OBJECTIVES:


To improve the construction industry by utilizing the most modern technical methods and quality standards.

To support housing and construction efforts in the city of Jerusalem at all levels. including the restoration of residences.

To activate the building materials trading and job creation.

To develop the construction industry by introducing new building techniques and modern planning.

To preserve the architectural heritage in Palestine.

OB

JEC

TIV

ES

PR

OG

RA

MS


Direct Credit Program:

The Direct Credit Program seeks to enable PHC`s target groups to construct, restore/renovate and complete their homes in urban and rural areas in Palestine by providing them with long term individual soft loans.

PROGRAMS:

IMPACT

Interaction: Construction loans.# of beneficiaries: 3,010 families,Budget: $74.2 million.Building type: Houses.


Grants Program

The Grants Program aims to contribute to the reduction of poverty through small grants. This program provides grants in the maximum amount of $5000 to families living below the poverty line in order to renovate their homes

PR

OG

RA

MS

IMPACT

Interaction: Rehabilitation.# of beneficiaries: 1,976 families.Budget: $6.7 million.Building type: Houses.


Indirect Credit Program

The Indirect Credit Program aims to build low cost housing units, fit with Palestinian households' size and income. The housing units are to be sold based on long term loans program for families with low and middle income status

PR

OG

RA

MS

IMPACT

Interaction: Construction loans.# of apartments: 1,789. Budget: $63.8 million.Building type: Apartments.


Old city Jerusalem Renovation Program

The program was begun with primary funding from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to renovate and restore major Arab historic and residential sites in the Old City of Jerusalem., the Program aims to preserve the cultural heritage and architecture in the city, promote the local restoration practices as well as to improve the social and economic conditions for inhabitants

PR

OG

RA

MS

IMPACT

Interaction: Renovation.# of beneficiaries: 78 families.Budget: $2.3 million.Building type: Houses & historical courtyards.

NE

W IN

ITIA

TIV

ES


Housing Program in Jerusalem

The Housing Program in Jerusalem is a distinguished approach, mainly due to the difficult building circumstances imposed on Palestinian Jerusalemites. In response to the increase in housing demands, the PHC purchased 89 Dunums of land from The Hebrew University and is planning to build 156 apartments on part of it, targeting low and middle income families that do not have land ownership.

NEW INITIATIVES:


Site and Service Program

The PHC launched the Site and Service Program in 2004 for the purpose of developing sites for housing. Through this program, the PHC identifies adequate land for housing in which the PHC then purchases and develops all services and infrastructure. Parcels are then made available to families through PHC’s soft loans program in order to construct low cost homes.

NE

W IN

ITIA

TIV

ES

SU

STA

INA

BIL

ITY


Financial:

PHC decided to reuse the loans’ installments to be used to new beneficiaries, PHC succeeded to recycle up to $28.4 million of loans’ installments. In addition, PHC now is preparing the required studies to establish the saving fund for housing. However, those two forms of principles will ensure PHC’s financial sustainability.

SUSTAINABILITY:


Social and Economical:

PHC has minimized the housing crisis among low and middle-income families by providing them with both long-term soft loans and low-cost housing units. PHC also has contributed to the lessening poverty among Palestinian families through improving their housing environment. PHC gained the trust of the community due to its transparent measures in ranking and selection of the beneficiaries by forming committees of PHC and its local partners, in addition to the donors.

Also PHC through its programs decreases the unemployment workers by the creation of numerous new jobs.

SU

STA

INA

BIL

ITY


Cultural:

PHC preserved Palestinian architectural spirit; its projects acknowledge culture, lifestyle, needs and desires of the beneficiaries. For instance, PHC preserved the architectural and urban style and spirit inside the old city of Jerusalem by rehabilitating 78 houses and compounds.

SU

STA

INA

BIL

ITY


Environmental:

PHC carried out many studies to ensure low-cost housing, long term maintenance and sustainable project features such as renewable energy sources. Recently, PHC applied all the regulations of thermal insulation and energy efficiency on its own projects. PHC made endeavours to introduce the concept of energy efficiency to all PHC’s beneficiaries. In this aspect, PHC has increased the ceiling of its loans to cover the cost of installing the thermal insulation of the new houses. However, applying thermal insulation is now a condition for every beneficiary.

SU

STA

INA

BIL

ITY


Institutional:

PHC always undertaking all activities and decisions in a transparent and participatory manner including all relevant stakeholders. However, PHC continue to be a resource center for the community and to the national government regarding housing policies and strategies.

SU

STA

INA

BIL

ITY

LE

SS

ON

S L

EA

RN

ED


The international support is not sustainable. Therefore, PHC should find independent financial resources to provide sustainable service to the Palestinians in the field of housing. Accordingly, PHC succeeded to recycle up to $25 million of loans’ installments, to be reused to serve new beneficiaries. In addition, PHC now is preparing the required studies to establish the saving fund for housing, which will be subjected to all Palestinians. However, those two forms of principles will ensure PHC’s sustainability.

LESSONS LEARNED

LE

SS

ON

S L

EA

RN

ED


Isolated projects have only a limited impact. The challenge is to achieve integrated and coordinated development. On the other hand, investment must be concentrated on core areas with long-term perspectives. Taking in the account that quality is a key to sustainability.

LE

SS

ON

S L

EA

RN

ED


Beneficiaries and stakeholders participation is a basic condition for feasibility and acceptance, process management and quality control have to be continuous; this requires a continuity of objectives, organizational structures and key personnel and informing the public in a transparent way creates the confidence and trust needed for cooperation and political stability.

TR

AN

SF

ER

AB

ILIT

Y


PHC was established prior the Palestinian Ministry of Housing, the recent ministry in Palestine has often used PHC as a reference as it continuously works to improve the regulations and strategies for its housing development programs. However, PHC provide the ministry with all gained information and cumulated experiences about the housing sector in Palestine. Moreover, PHC participated along with the Ministry of Housing in the formulation of a national Palestinian housing strategy.

TRANSFERABILITY :

TR

AN

SF

ER

AB

ILIT

Y


PHC’s participation in many international and Middle Eastern conferences and seminars led to a number of international relationships, including intensive exchanges between PHC and other similar institutions. However, this consolidated PHC’s works. On the other hand, PHC became the key institution in the field of housing in Palestine, various international and local institution rely on it to help in implement or carry out related housing studies, for instance, PHC with cooperation with UN-Habitat office in Palestine carried out a study of low cost housing project in Hebron.

TR

AN

SF

ER

AB

ILIT

Y


PHC administers a number of activities intended to meet Palestinian housing needs that have evolved over the more than three decades of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. During the last 18 years since its foundation, PHC achieved several projects whose features can be determined and their impact measured. The assessment of PHC programs and projects showed the vital need of them.

TR

AN

SF

ER

AB

ILIT

Y


All of the programs and projects in above-mentioned slides are ongoing projects, they replicable by recycle the recovery of projects’ loans to use them for new beneficiaries. some have been replicated for the second time. others will be replicated after doing the necessary development.

AC

HIE

VE

ME

NT

S


ACHIEVEMENTS:

7,039 families have been benefited directly by the PHC projects and programs.

PHC has succeeded in contributing approximately $168,600,000 in direct investments in the housing sector.

4,985 apartments and houses in Palestine have been built. Including 1,922 apartments in Jerusalem.

311 houses have been rehabilitated including 70 houses and compounds in the old city of Jerusalem.

1,400 inhabitants have been benefited by the loans’ installments’ revolving for more than $28,400,000.

PA

RT

NE

RS


PARTNERS:Donor Total amount $ # of Housing units # of beneficiaries

European Commission 43,256,808 1172 7,906

Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency 26,213,681 494 1,853

OPEC 5,000,000 756 1,733

IDB / Al Aqsa Fund 12,000,000 500 2,508

USAID 7,205,000 192 1,094

ICESCO 25,000 1 6

Government of Japan 10,000,000 256 1,459

MBC Heritage of Islamic Trust 7,498,000 176 996

IDB / The Saudi Fund 20,078,260 587 3,346

IDB 5,000,000 95 1,183

Welfare Association 145,500 84 479

World Bank 833,741 288 1,642

Welfare for development 3,000,000 96 528

Revolving Fund 28,410,463 1700 7,035

Total 168,666,453 7,039 31,768

Documents

Palestinian Housing Council F R O M H O P E T O S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y Palestinian Housing Council B. O. Box 1433 Ramallah Palestine Tel: +970 (0)