Understanding the Housing Need in Jordan
According to the Jordan Response Plan (2017-2019): “In 2016, the overall housing market gap exceeded 100,000 housing units, representing a significant increase from the estimated annual average need by Jordanians. More importantly, pre-crisis supply was not well aligned with demand, with an oversupply at the middle and upper end of the market. The price range of new housing units has been between JD 30,000 and JD 60,000 making them unaffordable to low- and lower-middle income groups. Inflation in the cost of rent has put Jordanian and poor Syrian families outside the camps out of the market. In Mafraq, price of monthly rent has increased from 70 – 150 Jordanian Dinars (JD) before the crisis to 200 – 300 JD at present.”
In the light of a specific lifestyle in villages, families tend to have many children; An average family can include 7-10 members sharing a small two-room house. The lack of privacy can lead to increase in family tensions, especially when children do not have access to sufficient space to sleep or study. Women also struggle to cook clean and decent meals in makeshift kitchens set up on dirt floors. It is very difficult to store food safely when pests and rodents are a constant challenge and there are no storage cabinets in place. Poor sanitary facilities also pose public and environmental health risks.