Housing support for 240 Palestinian families with funding from the European Union, costing 3.9 million euros.... The Palestinian Housing Council announces the launch of a project to support and develop housing and infrastructure

The Palestinian Housing Council and the Office of the European Union Representative announced the launch of a project to support and develop housing and infrastructure in Jerusalem, funded by the European Union. The ceremony was held under the patronage of the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Dr. Ashraf Al-Awar, who was represented by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Alian, in the presence of the Prime Minister's Advisor for Arab and Islamic Funds, Nasser Qatami, the Head of the Jerusalem Unit in the Palestinian Presidency, Layali Al-Bassa, and Engineer Fadi Shammasati, Coordinator of the Shelter Cluster in Palestine, along with representatives of civil society organizations and the local community in Jerusalem. The project aims to support housing and infrastructure for 240 housing units in Jerusalem, including 165 homes through infrastructure support for low-income families, and the rehabilitation of 75 homes for the most marginalized families, with a total cost of 3.9 million euros, and an implementation period of up to 36 months.

In his speech, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Alian, emphasized the importance of the project as it targets the housing sector, considering it one of the most important pillars for strengthening the steadfastness of Jerusalemites, in light of the ongoing occupation policies of settlement expansion, demolition threats, and restrictions hindering the acquisition of building permits, with the aim of isolating Jerusalem, changing its demographic reality, and obliterating its Palestinian identity. Alian praised the European Union's support and partnership with the Palestinian Housing Council in implementing projects that serve citizens and respond to their needs.

In turn, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Palestinian Housing Council, Dr. Sameh Al-Abd, affirmed that the Council continues to implement its housing programs to address the housing crisis and provide adequate housing for the targeted segments, with a special focus on the city of Jerusalem, in addition to implementing humanitarian relief and emergency response programs, especially in the Gaza Strip. He added that since its establishment, the Council has been able to provide more than 12,000 housing units, including about 2,250 units in Jerusalem, at a cost exceeding 280 million dollars, of which 103 million dollars were in Jerusalem.

Al-Abd indicated that the project will be announced soon, and the lists of beneficiaries will be approved according to transparent criteria and procedures, through an advisory committee that includes representatives from the local community, civil society organizations, the Shelter Cluster – Palestine, the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, the Palestinian Housing Council, and representatives from the European Union.

For his part, the Head of Cooperation at the Office of the European Union Representative in Palestine, Mr. Mario Faranti, affirmed the European Union's commitment to supporting the housing sector in Palestine, especially in Jerusalem, noting that this project represents the third phase of a series of interventions implemented by the Palestinian Housing Council in Jerusalem with the support of the European Union. He added: "The housing sector is one of the most vital, sensitive, and urgent sectors for intervention in East Jerusalem, and we fully recognize the profound importance of this sector and its direct link to strengthening the steadfastness of Jerusalemites, in addition to preserving the city's Palestinian cultural identity, which are essential goals at the core of the European Union's support for East Jerusalem."