In policy shift, ILA to provide land for affordable housing

The Israel Lands Council approved three moves on Wednesday designed to create affordable housing across Israel, but rejected proposals by Housing Minister Ariel Atias (Shas) which would have given preference to ultra-Orthodox families.

The Israel Lands Council determines the policy of the Israel Lands Administration, the state body which controls some 93 percent of Israel's land. The decision follows a month of protests throughout Israel against the rising cost of living and the nationwide lack of affordable housing.

According to the new policy, the Israel Lands Authority will begin marketing state land at a 50% discount to developers who commit to selling apartments on that land at significantly reduced prices. Developers will also receive a 70% discount on land slated for the construction of rental apartments, while land for the construction of student dormitories will be released for free.

Despite a last-minute change of location meant to head off the possibility of protests, some 100 people gathered to demonstrate outside of the Israel Lands Administration's office in Jerusalem while the meeting took place inside. The demonstrators, who were twice blocked by police from entering the building, said they were concerned the council would decide to grant preferential treatment to large, ultra-Orthodox families at the expense of the general public.

During the meeting, Atias proposed that the Housing Ministry be put in charge of determining which groups would receive apartments built through the program. He also suggested setting aside a significant percentage of the apartments for families with at least three children and that veteran IDF soldiers be given an advantage in the housing pool.

These suggestions were rejected by the council, which decided that the Justice Ministry would revise the Housing Ministry's existing eligibility criteria within a month and a half. The new criteria will then be submitted to the "Rothschild Team," the panel appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address issues raised by the social justice movement that has spent the past month living in tent camps across Israel in demonstration.

Atias praised the council's decision, saying, "No longer will state land be a used for making profits, but rather for serving the citizens and helping to shrink social gaps."

Activists from Jerusalem's tent camp also said they were satisfied with the results of the meeting. "The decision from the Israel Lands Council is consistent with our demand to freeze marketing of reduced-price apartments until new criteria, serving the entire public rather than just one specific population sector, can be formulated," said Meirav Cohen, one of the leaders of the Jerusalem tent camp.

"We will continue to fight for the right to affordable housing for everyone and monitor the council while they implement this decision," she added.

　

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו