Housing Challenges in the Post-War Period: What Is Happening?

The recent war marked a critical turning point that exposed the deep-seated fragility of Lebanon’s housing sector, particularly in border regions that faced extensive destruction and the forced displacement of tens of thousands. Post-war challenges extend beyond physical reconstruction to complex legal, economic, and social crises that threaten housing security, especially for the most vulnerable. 

The post-war period has been characterized by several critical housing challenges, including the sharp and continuous rise in rent prices; the lack of dignified temporary housing solutions leaving many families in precarious and unstable living conditions; challenges faced by tenants, especially old tenants who struggle with rising rents, continuous eviction threats and limited legal protections; tenants’ inability to carry out repairs, due to financial constraints and unclear reconstruction policies; and forced displacement of the most marginalized groups. 

Meanwhile, the absence of clear public policies, coupled with investor-driven land speculation and the exploitation of damaged properties, is accelerating the erosion of the right to housing. These challenges are further compounded by legal and planning obstacles, especially in informal neighborhoods or small plots that no longer meet zoning requirements, making reconstruction nearly impossible without legislative reform. Left unaddressed, these dynamics could lead to permanent demographic shifts, deepen social inequalities, and turn reconstruction into a tool for exclusion and profit.

This moment calls for an urgent, coordinated, and inclusive housing strategy, one that recognizes housing not merely as shelter but as a fundamental human right tied to dignity, stability, and social justice. Without such a vision, reconstruction risks reproducing the same vulnerabilities and injustices that the war has only made more visible.

Read the full Report in Arabic.