دور سياسات و تشريعات البناء في تعزيز الإسكان الميسر في الضفة الغربية وسبل تطويرها

Abstract

the West Bank, with a particular focus on the challenges facing affordable housing projects and their target groups. The research adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining a historical analysis of the legal and regulatory context, a quantitative survey to measure the effectiveness of current policies from the perspective of engineers and developers, and qualitative interviews with policymakers and officials from relevant institutions. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a group of low-income households to explore their housing conditions and the obstacles they face in obtaining adequate housing. The findings revealed that the absence of a comprehensive national housing policy constitutes one of the main challenges confronting the housing sector in the West Bank. Existing urban regulations were found to directly contribute to the rise in construction costs and the delay in implementing affordable housing projects, while available financial instruments remain limited in scope and insufficient to meet the needs of low-income groups. Moreover, the interviews with low-income participants highlighted a clear gap between official policy directions and the actual needs of families—particularly concerning high land prices and limited access to financing. The study recommends the development of more flexible and equitable housing policies, the expansion of public–private partnerships, and the creation of innovative financing mechanisms that better respond to the needs of low- and middle-income groups, thereby enhancing access to affordable housing within the Palestinian context.