The Old City of Aleppo encompasses a large housing stock. There are about 10.000 private houses, out of which more than 3.000 of which require urgent structural repairs to avoid dilapidation entailing further out-migration of Old Cities’ residents.
In the interest of preserving residential use by improving living conditions in the Old City, house owners and tenants are given financial and technical support for rehabilitation purposes. In addition, successful applicants are exempt from municipal building permit fees.

In order to monitor implementation and guarantee the application of international standards, specific building guidelines have been developed and made mandatory for beneficiaries of the housing funds. By the beginning of 2009, the fund has financed 688 cases.