A house is not just a shelter. It is a home with its own story. In the Gaza Strip, one of the world's most densely populated areas, hundreds of thousands of homes are of marginal construction, with poor roofing and sanitation. Privacy is an unmet need with no proper separation between genders, & no space for children to study. Help launch this inclusive architectural design and construction program to work with 20 families, finishing their homes & adding an additional room(s) they need upstairs.
Overcrowding has been linked to many social and health issues such as an increase in domestic violence, a lack of education, as well as unhygienic conditions within households. Land upon which to construct homes in Gaza is limited, necessitating vertical building additions. Due to a scarcity in skilled local labor, rebuilding efforts often fall short of minimum building code and safety standards. This problem is compounded by a lack of construction materials due to the illegal Israeli blockade.
The project will implement low-cost housing solutions for 20 families in poor & unstable communities: 1) improving access to water & hygienic sanitation facilities, 2) decreasing overcrowding through structural changes to add upstairs, & 3) doing upgrades to the shelter that provide proper heating & ventilation. The re-design of each structure will be participatory in nature & include a needs assessment of each family to ensure that each construction meets the families' specific circumstances.
With hundreds of thousands of homes barely livable, rehabilitating twenty homes in Gaza is just the start to what will hopefully be a large-scale implementation of inclusive architecture & rebuilding . The U.N.'s 2021 humanitarian needs overview findings demonstrated that many Palestinians in Gaza are vulnerable & need improved access to basic services, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) & adequate shelter. This project will impact the lives of many Gazans by addressing those issues.
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