Introduction

(13 Years of Achievements)

The Palestinian Housing Council (PHC) is established in Jerusalem in 1992 as a non-profit national institution dedicated to helping alleviate the problem of housing. The establishment of the PHC coincided with the European Union's announcement of financial support to a number of economic sectors, including housing, in the wake of the Gulf war and its negative impact on the whole region. Following productive contacts between the PHC and the EU, an agreement was signed on 8 July 1992 for EU support to the housing sector in the whole of the occupied Palestinian territories in order to address the severe housing shortage as a result of the Israeli occupation over the last three decades. The PHC undertook a period of preparation prior to implementing its programs that included the drafting of by-laws and an organizational structure, as well as establishing legal and financial regulations and policies. The EU grant was utilized for a number of housing programs and activities in the Palestinian areas that has resulted in the construction of hundreds of housing units.

The contributions made by the PHC have targeted Palestinian rural areas, through a rural credit program which granted tens of loans for housing construction, as well as Palestinian urban areas.

In light of the special status of Jerusalem, the PHC has also dealt with housing issues in the city through its Department for the Reconstruction of Jerusalem. The PHC has been able to raise more than $47.1M, primarily from Arab and Islamic resources, for consolidating and preserving Arab identity in the city and contributing to solving the housing problem which has been caused by a deliberate Israeli policy to undermine Arab existence and identity.