Working Group Description

The shelter sector aims to provide Syrian refugee women, girls, boys and men settled in host communities and in planned and developed camps with adequate shelter and access to basic facilities and services. In camp settings the shelter sector ensures the provision of adequate shelter through the distribution of emergency tents or semi-permanent pre-fab units. In non-camp settings the shelter sector adopts five key response strategies to ensure the provision of adequate shelter support to refugees: 1) upgrading sub-standard housing units, in which Syrian refugees already live, to meet adequate standards; 2) increasing the quantity of adequate housing that is available, affordable and accessible to refugees on the rental market by working with property owners to upgrade existing properties that are currently not for rent; 3) providing conditional financial assistance to meet rental costs, and for ensuring security of tenure; 4) adapting sub-standard dwelling units to overcome harsh weather conditions with “house adaptation kits” provided either in the form of NFI packages or a cash equivalent through conditional cash grants; and 5) enhancing awareness on tenure rights and obligations amongst women, girls, boys and men refugee tenants and target all refugees who reside in non-camp settings. The shelter working group is co-chaired by UNHCR and IOCC.