British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 792

CHAPTER XVIII.

(4) Deficiency in room units provided during the period 1936-1945.

2:5. As already explained, the data relating to room units constructed refers only to urban areas. It is, however, known that in the Jewish rural areas a fairly extensive building activity has been going on and in the absence of evidence to the contrary it has been assumed that the construction which has taken place in rural areas has more or less met the increased demand for housing accommodation due to natural increase or immigration during the period at the rate of one room per two persons exclusive of the demand for persons living at densities over two persons per room and those accommodated in tents. In 1942 a census was carried out by the Jewish Agency from which it was estimated that, in order to reduce the density of occupation in Jewish rural areas to two persons per room, 8,730 room units were required. It is now assumed that the persons living in tents would be covered by the provision of 8,730 room units estimated to be required for the relief of congestion in 1942.

26. The increase in the Jewish rural population during the ten years ending 1945 is given by the Jewish Agency statistics as 45,724 which, on the basis of two persons per room unit, represents a requirement of 22,862 room units. On the assumption made it is presumed that this accommodation has been provided, except for the requirement of 8,730 room units estimated as being provided in 1942 for the relief of congestion.

27. The total deficiency in room units for the Jewish section of the community may now be ascertained as follows :

Room units

(a) Room units required to provide for

natural increase (vide paragraph 19) 55,000

(b) Room units required to provide for immigration (vide paragraph 21) 67,000

Total for Jewish Palestine 122,000

(c) Deduct room units assumed to have been provided in rural areas as in paragraph

Balance, being total required for urban

areas 99,138

(d) Room units required in rural areas to

reduce congestion to two persons per

room (as above) 8,730

792