British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 806

CHAPTER XVIII.

the total number of building licences issued in 1945 under the Emergency Building Scheme 65 % were taken up by private builders.

(1). Measures taken by Government.

55. These consist of the procurement and conservation of certain materials important to the building industry for release solely for housing purposes, and the launching of an Emergency Building Scheme for 27 ,000 room units. The Emergency Building Scheme is confined to the construction of dwelling houses of not more than three room units and has been restricted to the four main towns and their suburbs.

56. Release of controlled materials for dwelling houses generally.

Since 1944 it has been possible to make releases of controlled materials for general housing on an increasing scale. Builders have readily availed themselves of such materials. The following figures illustrate the increased building activities in 1944 and 1945 as compared with previous war years :-

Year

Number of rooms constructed

1941 1942 1943 lVH 1945

4419 8988 2838 7109

11041

The figure for 1945 is exclusive of the Emergency Building Scheme room units.

57. The Emergency Building Scheme. In addition to the general building activity referred to above, a Government sponsored and directed Emergency Building Scheme was adopted during 1944. The object of this scheme is to reduce the statistical average of persons per Jiving room in the four main towns to three. The scheme was launched in August, 19-15, when important materials obtainable only from U.K. and U.S.A. arrived in Palestine. It programmes for the erection of 27,000 room units and, up to the end of 1945, licences had been issued for 10,000 units.

(2). Municipalities.

58. The larger municipalities are preparing housing schemes the majority of which, however, are as yet only in their early stage of preparation. The following information has been provided by the respective City Engineers :-

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