Families in Gaza are seeking shelter in damaged buildings, some with partially collapsed roofs and exposed steel bars, as reconstruction efforts remain severely limited.

Masada Abu Jarad, a 60-year-old resident of Gaza City, is living in an apartment where the roof has partially caved in. Her family has erected a tent beneath the damaged section, creating a makeshift shelter open to the elements. Despite warnings from the Palestinian Red Crescent and Civil Defence to evacuate due to the building's instability, the family has few viable options.

"We have no options," Masada stated, expressing the dilemma faced by many. "I want to leave, but who will give me an alternative?" She returned to the Gaza City area after being displaced from her original home in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, which was devastated early in the conflict. The prospect of further displacement without a safe destination is exhausting, compounded by the prohibitive cost of alternative housing.

Abu Jarad's situation highlights a widespread housing crisis in Gaza. A joint assessment by the United Nations, World Bank, and European Union revealed that as of October 2025, 371,888 housing units, or 76.6 percent of the housing stock, had been destroyed or damaged. The report estimated that rebuilding Gaza will require over $71 billion during the next decade.

The dangers associated with the damaged housing stock were underscored on September 16, when a six-story residential building in Gaza City, weakened by war, collapsed. The incident resulted in the deaths of 21 people, including 12 children, according to the UN and Gaza Civil Defence. This tragedy serves as a stark warning to other families residing in similarly precarious structures.

Authorities in Gaza, including the municipality and civil defence, have issued warnings to residents to evacuate buildings deemed unsafe. However, the lack of safe, alternative accommodations and the financial burden of finding new housing leave many with little choice but to remain in their damaged homes.

The ongoing restrictions on reconstruction prevent residents from repairing or rebuilding their homes, trapping them in a cycle of displacement and precarious living conditions. The scale of destruction, coupled with the limited resources and access for rebuilding materials, perpetuates the housing crisis.

Families like Masada Abu Jarad's are caught between the immediate danger of their current living situation and the impossibility of relocating. The absence of a safe and affordable alternative forces them to adapt to increasingly hazardous environments, underscoring the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.