Affordable sustainable housing in Lebanon : the case of Beirut

Abstract

Lebanon is undergoing a critical economic crisis due to many internal and external factors. This crisis that started in 2015 is showcased clearly in the housing construction sector amplified by the decision of the Central Bank to suspend all subsidized housing loans in 2018. This resulted in an aggravated situation for young couples and low-income households who were heavily relying on these banking facilities. As part of the global strategy to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission, affordable sustainable housing is highlighted as a major aspect for providing the low-income population with decent sustainable living shelters. However, it is noticeable that despite the economic crisis, the price of an apartment in Beirut and its suburbs is still relatively expensive. Redundantly erratic housing construction projects are taking shape with developers avoiding ecofriendly and sustainable solutions due to the actual additional cost required for construction, thus making the product hard to sell in a competitive market. The main issue is to provide equitable, efficient and concrete methods that help initiate affordable sustainable housing projects through spreading awareness, adopting eco-design strategies, proper material selection and agreements between the involved stakeholders to provide affordable apartments without compromising: the cost of construction, the selling price of the apartment and the developers’ aims at maintaining their profits. In Lebanon, very few projects are being built taking into consideration sustainable standards, as the buildings complying with these criteria are being exclusively restricted to the high-income society. In the light of the above, the main question resides on how to provide sustainable affordable housing strategies in Lebanon, making it profitable for both Low-income households and developers? VI The thesis aims to explore solutions that will bridge the gap between the developer’s doubts of implementing sustainability through building green architecture, and the household’s concern for paying additional fees on the initial cost of the apartment. These concerns cannot be answered without studying the roles of different stakeholders who are considered the main decision makers in initiating affordable sustainable housing projects in Lebanon. The research took into consideration the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainability which lead to clear guidelines and recommendations enabling construction of Affordable Sustainable Housing (ASH). After studying the existing building technologies used in the Lebanese housing market, clear guidelines and prototype(s) were generated as a possible package that would decrease by 5% the monthly expenditure on housing and provide the market and the low-income household with an ASH that would benefit simultaneously the households and the developers.