Lebanon

Field Watch

Displaced Persons and Returnees: Between Rising Rents and the Israeli Targeting of Prefabricated Homes

In the aftermath of the ceasefire, both the displaced and returnees are struggling to access affordable, suitable, and safe housing. Over 90,000 individuals remain displaced, with most relying on rental housing, where landlords have significantly inflated prices. Meanwhile, returnees continue to endure Israeli violations, with repeated attacks on prefabricated homes, further undermining return efforts. This crisis underscores the urgent need for state intervention to guarantee the right to adequate, affordable, and safe housing.

Yearly Report

The Impact of the Israeli War on Lebanon: The Housing Crisis Worsens and Enters a New Phase

This 2024 Housing Monitor annual report examines the impact of war and political convergences on Lebanon’s housing crisis, highlighting mass displacement, rising rents, the exclusion of non-Lebanese residents, and forced evictions.

Report

Between Rubble Removal and Reconstruction: Will the Israeli Ecocide in Lebanon Continue?

In the aftermath of Israel’s attacks, Lebanon struggles with both physical and environmental destruction. This report examines the state’s efforts in rubble removal, highlighting key gaps and necessary approaches for a sustainable recovery.

Field Watch

Incitement Before the Crime: Syrians Displaced and Homes Burned in Al-Aaqbiya

Syrian refugees in the Tariq al-Maslakh neighborhood of Al-Aaqbiyeh are facing escalating threats and attacks, leading to the forced displacement of dozens of families. Risks continue to rise amid growing incitement and official inaction.

From Dossier Research-Based Article

Investigating the Religious Land Endowments in Lebanon

Part 1 | An Overview of the Law and the Land Registry

Amid Lebanon’s economic crisis, religious authorities have been excluded from the discussion on sharing the losses, despite being among the largest landowners and benefiting from tax breaks. In this context, it was necessary to conduct an in-depth study of religious endowment lands (waqf), highlighting their social value, placing them at the center of the wider conversation on the economic collapse, as well as shedding light on the needed regulation and taxation, and making the related data accessible as a basis for any future advocacy.

Policy Watch

 The Reconstruction Process Between the Law, Ownership status, and people’s Return 

Four months after the ceasefire, Internal Security Forces halted reconstruction in several border villages due to permit requirements, raising concerns about the future of destroyed homes—whether licensed, unlicensed, or built on public property. Given the political significance of reconstruction in these areas, the state must facilitate and organize the reconstruction process in a way that protects people’s right to housing, meets their needs, and respects the urban identity of the regions, within the framework of resisting occupation.

Interactive Map

Uncovering the Informal Blueprint of cities in Lebanon

Tripoli | Beirut | Saida | Tyre

The map and article is not yet translated, refer to the Arabic version here.

Policy Watch

Encroachment on Public Property in Al-Qleileh: Legitimizing Legal and Environmental Violations

Shortly before leaving office, the Mikati government approved Decree No. 14620, dated January 16, 2025, which grants a private company concession rights to 14,560 square meters of public maritime domain adjacent to property …

Article Policy Watch

Evacuation and demolition of shops in Burj al-Barajneh: a struggle between Planning and Social Marginalization

In January 2025, the Burj al-Barajneh municipality, backed by the Lebanese army and security forces, evicted and demolished informal shops, sparking resident protests. While the municipality claimed it was reclaiming public land, its move suggests an attempt to control the area’s informal economy.

Field Watch

 “100 dollars for rent or else…” The Khan Al-Askar project is outside the municipality’s accounts in terms of services, but it is present in the rent collection ledger

تهدد بلدية طرابلس بطرد سكان مشروع «إسكان قاطني وشاغلي خان العسكر»، في حالة عدم تمكنهم من دفع إيجار بقيمة 100 دولاراً، ممّا يعرّض للخطر حقّ السكن ل230 شخصاً يعيشون في مشروع الإسكان الشعبي.

Dossier

Investigating the Religious Land Endowments in Lebanon

Amid Lebanon’s economic collapse, along with other successive crises, “ownership” is raised as a fundamental issue in shaping the system of social and economic relations, framed by the state through laws, making it …

Investigation

Who moved the kitchen to the bedroom?

Today, the use of kitchenettes in low income housing and student accommodation in Beirut, raises a question as to whether this is a victory for housing rights, or a way to jeopardize the tenant’s comfort and raise the profits of landlords.