Deadline: 18-Jun-2026
UN-Habitat is requesting applications from legally registered organisations to support housing, land, and property rights through community-based interventions in Syria. The project will focus on Aleppo City, Saraqib City, and Ma’arat Al-Nu’uman City, with a maximum grant size of $250,000 for an estimated four-month implementation period. The initiative aims to strengthen HLP documentation, tenure security, social cohesion, and safe, dignified, and voluntary returns for displaced and affected communities.
Overview
UN-Habitat is inviting applications to support secure housing, land, and property rights in areas affected by displacement and property damage in Syria.
The project uses community-based approaches to support safe and voluntary returns, reintegration, and recovery.
Activities will focus on Aleppo City, Saraqib City, and Ma’arat Al-Nu’uman City, where communities face complex HLP challenges linked to displacement, damaged property, tenure insecurity, and recovery needs.
Purpose of the Project
The purpose of the project is to strengthen housing, land, and property rights while enabling inclusive, safe, dignified, and voluntary returns.
The project aims to empower communities to understand and claim their HLP rights, build trust, and engage in dialogue with local authorities and community stakeholders.
It also seeks to create a foundation for future recovery interventions by improving community confidence, tenure security, and social cohesion.
Key Focus Areas
The project focuses on documentation of housing, land, and property claims, HLP awareness raising, one-stop-service window operationalization, social cohesion, tenure security, dignified voluntary returns, gender-inclusive housing recovery, community-centred recovery, local government collaboration, civil society capacity, long-term stability, resilience, and bottom-up community action.
What Are Housing, Land and Property Rights?
Housing, land, and property rights refer to the rights people have to access, use, own, occupy, inherit, transfer, or claim homes, land, and property.
In displacement-affected areas, HLP rights are especially important because families may have lost documents, homes may be damaged, ownership may be disputed, and returnees may need legal or community support to reclaim property.
This project supports HLP rights through documentation, awareness, tenure security, community dialogue, and local coordination.
What the Project Supports
The project supports community-based interventions that strengthen HLP rights and promote safe returns.
Supported activities may include:
- Documentation of HLP claims
- Awareness raising on HLP rights and processes
- Operationalization of a one-stop-service window
- Community dialogue on HLP issues
- Collaboration with local government
- Promotion of social cohesion
- Strengthening tenure security
- Support for dignified voluntary returns
- Gender-inclusive housing recovery
- Community-centred recovery planning
- Capacity strengthening for authorities, civil society, and affected communities
- Building trust around sensitive property and return issues
Activities should be implemented through inclusive, rights-based, and community-led approaches.
Project Locations
The project will be implemented in three target cities in Syria:
- Aleppo City
- Saraqib City
- Ma’arat Al-Nu’uman City
Applicants must demonstrate operational presence in Syria and the capacity to implement activities in the target locations.
Funding Amount
The maximum grant size is $250,000.
Applicants should prepare a realistic budget that supports delivery of the proposed activities within the grant ceiling.
The budget should be clearly linked to project objectives, activities, staffing, community engagement, coordination, and implementation needs.
Project Duration
The estimated project duration is four months.
Applicants should design a focused and achievable workplan that can deliver meaningful results within this short implementation period.
The timeline should include clear milestones for community mobilisation, HLP documentation support, awareness activities, service window support, coordination, monitoring, and reporting.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible implementing partners must be legally registered organisations.
Applicants must provide proof of operational presence in Syria.
Eligible organisations should demonstrate the technical, administrative, financial, and governance capacity needed to implement a community-based HLP and recovery project.
Required Organisational Capacity
Applicants must show that they have the ability to manage funds, deliver activities, and maintain strong accountability.
Required capacity areas include:
- Legal registration
- Operational presence in Syria
- Clear organisation profile
- Governance and management structure
- Governing board details
- Professional membership proof
- Audited financial statements
- Dedicated bank account capacity for project funds
- Qualified leadership and project personnel
- Strong integrity and governance systems
Integrity and Governance Requirements
Integrity and governance will be assessed as part of the application process.
Applicants must submit:
- Signed Partner Declaration Form
- Profiles of key organisational leaders
- Governance and management information
- Governing board details
- Audited financial statements
- Organisational documentation requested by the call
These requirements help ensure that selected partners can manage funds responsibly and implement the project with transparency and accountability.
Why It Matters
Housing, land, and property rights are central to recovery in areas affected by conflict, displacement, and property damage.
Without secure tenure and trusted HLP processes, displaced families may face barriers to return, reintegration, safety, and long-term stability.
This project matters because it supports community awareness, trust-building, HLP documentation, and tenure security. These foundations can help communities pursue dignified voluntary return and prepare for future physical recovery interventions.
Community-Based Approach
The project uses a bottom-up and community-centred approach.
This means activities should be shaped by community needs, local realities, and participation from affected people.
The approach should promote:
- Dialogue within target communities
- Collaboration with local government
- Respect for basic human rights
- Collective claims to neighbourhoods
- Trust-building on sensitive HLP issues
- Inclusion of women and vulnerable groups
- Community ownership of recovery processes
Community action is central to building confidence and supporting long-term resilience.
Expected Results
The project expects to create stronger foundations for safe return and recovery.
Expected results may include:
- Increased awareness of HLP rights
- Improved confidence in HLP claims processes
- Better documentation of HLP claims
- Increased trust between communities and local actors
- Stronger tenure security
- Improved social cohesion
- More inclusive housing recovery approaches
- Enhanced capacity of authorities, civil society, and affected communities
- A stronger foundation for future physical interventions
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a complete application that demonstrates eligibility, operational capacity, project approach, governance strength, and financial accountability.
Step 1: Confirm Legal Registration
Applicants must confirm that their organisation is legally registered.
Proof of registration should be included in the application package.
Step 2: Demonstrate Operational Presence in Syria
Applicants must provide evidence of operational presence in Syria.
The application should show experience, networks, staff capacity, and ability to implement activities in the target locations.
Step 3: Prepare the Organisation Profile
The organisation profile should describe:
- Mission and mandate
- Relevant experience
- Operational capacity
- Geographic presence
- Previous project experience
- Experience with HLP, displacement, recovery, social cohesion, or community-based programming
Step 4: Describe Governance and Management Structure
Applicants should provide clear information on organisational governance.
This should include:
- Management structure
- Governing board details
- Key leadership roles
- Decision-making arrangements
- Accountability systems
- Profiles of key organisational leaders
Step 5: Prepare the Project Approach
The project proposal should explain how activities will be delivered in Aleppo City, Saraqib City, and Ma’arat Al-Nu’uman City.
The approach should include:
- Community mobilisation methods
- HLP documentation support
- Awareness raising activities
- One-stop-service window support
- Social cohesion activities
- Local government engagement
- Gender-inclusive recovery approach
- Monitoring and reporting plan
Step 6: Prepare the Budget
Applicants should prepare a budget within the maximum grant amount of $250,000.
The budget should be realistic for a four-month project and clearly linked to project activities, staffing, operational costs, community engagement, coordination, and reporting.
Step 7: Submit Financial Documentation
Applicants must provide audited financial statements.
They must also demonstrate the ability to maintain a dedicated bank account for project funds.
Step 8: Complete Integrity Requirements
Applicants must submit a signed Partner Declaration Form and profiles of key organisational leaders.
They should ensure all declarations are accurate, complete, and consistent with the organisation’s governance information.
Step 9: Submit the Application
Applicants should submit the complete application package with all required documents, including registration proof, operational presence evidence, organisation profile, governance information, financial statements, professional membership proof, Partner Declaration Form, and project proposal.
Selection Considerations
Applications are likely to be assessed based on eligibility, organisational capacity, project quality, governance, and ability to deliver results.
Key assessment areas may include:
- Legal registration
- Operational presence in Syria
- Relevant experience in HLP, recovery, displacement, or community programming
- Quality of the proposed methodology
- Understanding of local HLP challenges
- Community-based implementation approach
- Capacity to promote social cohesion
- Gender-inclusive recovery strategy
- Governance and management strength
- Financial accountability
- Integrity and compliance
- Ability to manage a dedicated project bank account
- Feasibility of delivering results within four months
Tips for a Strong Application
A strong application should clearly show that the organisation can deliver sensitive HLP work in a responsible, inclusive, and community-centred way.
Applicants should:
- Clearly describe operational presence in Syria
- Show experience working with affected communities
- Demonstrate understanding of HLP challenges
- Include a realistic four-month workplan
- Explain how trust will be built with communities
- Show how women and vulnerable groups will be included
- Provide strong governance and financial documentation
- Keep the budget within the $250,000 ceiling
- Explain how local government and civil society will be engaged
- Demonstrate capacity to support rights-based and voluntary return processes
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Common mistakes include:
- Not providing proof of legal registration
- Failing to demonstrate operational presence in Syria
- Submitting an unclear organisation profile
- Missing governance or board information
- Not providing audited financial statements
- Failing to submit the Partner Declaration Form
- Not explaining how HLP claims will be documented
- Providing weak community engagement plans
- Ignoring social cohesion or trust-building
- Not addressing gender-inclusive housing recovery
- Submitting an unrealistic four-month workplan
- Not demonstrating capacity to manage a dedicated bank account
FAQ
1. What is the UN-Habitat HLP project in Syria?
It is a grant opportunity supporting housing, land, and property rights, tenure security, social cohesion, and safe voluntary returns through community-based interventions in Syria.
2. Where will the project be implemented?
The project will focus on Aleppo City, Saraqib City, and Ma’arat Al-Nu’uman City.
3. How much funding is available?
The maximum grant size is $250,000.
4. What is the project duration?
The estimated duration of the project is four months.
5. Who can apply?
Legally registered organisations with proof of operational presence in Syria may apply.
6. What documents are required?
Applicants must provide an organisation profile, governance and management structure, governing board details, proof of professional membership, audited financial statements, a signed Partner Declaration Form, and profiles of key organisational leaders.
7. What are the main project focus areas?
The project focuses on HLP claims documentation, HLP awareness raising, one-stop-service window operationalization, social cohesion, tenure security, dignified voluntary returns, gender-inclusive housing recovery, and community-centred recovery.
Conclusion
UN-Habitat’s grant opportunity supports community-based action to strengthen housing, land, and property rights and enable safe, inclusive, and dignified voluntary returns in Syria. With a maximum grant size of $250,000 and an estimated four-month duration, the project focuses on HLP documentation, awareness, social cohesion, tenure security, and trust-building in Aleppo City, Saraqib City, and Ma’arat Al-Nu’uman City. Eligible organisations should submit strong applications demonstrating legal registration, operational presence in Syria, governance integrity, financial accountability, and practical capacity to deliver community-centred HLP interventions.
For more information, visit UN-Habitat.
