The mainstream Lebanese media portrays the on-going housing crisis as a conflict between the landlord and the tenant, neglecting the role of the state in regulating rents, determining land uses, and managing property in accordance with the public good. The state cannot ignore the worsening crisis and people’s constant concern about homelessness, eviction and the failure to find housing options that meet their needs. This requires us to hold the state responsible for developing a real estate policy accompanied by a fair and comprehensive housing policy, including the regulation of rents and the imposition of taxes on vacant apartments. Therefore, we have come to demand the creation of such an environment, in proportion to people’s needs, through urgent measures and affordable housing programs, directed to the Parliament and the Public Institution for Housing.

Read the Arabic article here.