Housing Rights of Acco’s Old City Residents: Academia Serves the Acco Community

July 24, 2008

A well-attended day-long conference in Acco brought together students working for the rights of Acco’s Old City Arab residents with the residents themselves, housing rights activists, NGO leaders, lawyers, academics and representatives of planning  authorities (such as the Israel  Antiquities Authority and the Old Acco Development Society).

“We believe the time has come for students to contribute in their academic capacity to the good of vulnerable population groups,” said Sami Hawari, SHATIL’s Mixed Cities Field Coordinator for Acco.   Students from Haifa University’s Human Rights in the Community Legal Clinic and the Haifa Technion’s Faculty of Urban Planning have played a proactive role in developing and presenting projects on the preservation and gentrification of Acco’s Old City and the rights of residents.

In the audience were women from the south Acco neighborhood of Basateen El Raml, which, assisted by the Mixed Cities project, has fought a successful struggle for recognition and inclusion in the Acco Municipality and the Ministry of Housing’s development plans. 

Participating Technion students and public planning officials clarified visions for the future of Acco’s Old City and addressed the concerns and fears of residents. Legal Clinic members discussed differences between the public housing and protected tenancy laws and under what circumstances the law can support unfortunate eviction processes.  Students’ presentations included interviews with residents indicating that the latter’s intent is not to block preservation and renovation plans, but to be included as partners  who are consulted and kept informed throughout the planning process. This reflects the main objective of the Mixed Cities project since its inception – the participation of Arab residents in the development of planning and building policies that affect their lives.
 
“We hope this conference will increase cooperation between students and authorities and open new and positive channels between residents and the planning authorities – for the good of the city and all its residents,” concluded Sami Hawari.