RAMALLAH, September 29, 2009 ( WAFA)- The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reviewed the status of Palestinian housing, on Arab Housing Day 30/09/2009 based on the decision of the Council of Arab Housing and Reconstruction Ministers in the framework of the League of Arab States.
PCBS reviewed the most important indicators of housing in the Palestinian Territory, based on the latest available updated information on the housing sector.
Hebron is the Largest Governorate in terms of Number of Housing Units and Jericho & Al Aghwar Governorate is the smallest in the Palestinian Territory.
The final results of Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2007 showed that the number of housing units (housing units represent habitation and habitation and work together, work, closed, vacant and deserted ) was 701,937 in the Palestinian Territory, distributed as 456,314 housing units in the West Bank (excluding Jerusalem J1) and 245,623 housing units in Gaza Strip.
While the results showed that the number of occupied housing units in the Palestinian Territory were 629,185 and distributed as 414,493 in the West Bank and 214,692 in Gaza Strip.
The final results showed that Hebron is the largest Governorate in terms of the number of occupied housing units reached to 87,645 housing units constitute 13.9% of the occupied housing units in the Palestinian Territory, followed by Gaza Governorate and constitute 11.9% of occupied housing units in the Palestinian Territory. Occupied housing units reached to 75,004 housing units. The data showed that Jericho & Al Aghwar is the smallest Governorate in terms of number of occupied housing units, 7,262 housing units constituting 1.2% of occupied housing units in the Palestinian Territory
1.7 Persons Per Room was the Average Housing Density in the Palestinian Territory
The average housing density in the Palestinian Territory in general was 1.7 persons per room in 2008; the average for the West Bank was 1.6 persons per room whereas the average for Gaza Strip was 1.9 person per room. The average number of rooms in a housing unit in the Palestinian Territory was 3.6.
51.0% of Households in the Palestinian Territory Live in Traditional House
The results of the annual housing report of 2008 indicate that 51.0% of households in the Palestinian Territory live in a house, while 47.2% live in apartment.
The percentage of households living in owned housing units in the Palestinian Territory was 86.3%. .
23,100 housing units were demolished in the framework of collective punishment and confiscation for settlement.
According to the study of the National and International Relations of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territory demolished about 23,100 housing units within the framework of the policy of expulsion and destruction wrought by the occupation during the period from 1967 until the end of May 2009 in the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip under the pretext of resisting the occupation or construction without a license, including Jerusalem.
The study also showed that 13,400 housing units were completely destroyed from 2000 until the end of May 2009 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
