Israel Announces 1 Billion Shekel Plan for Public Housing

23 February 2017

The Public Housing Forum celebrated a major success when Israel revealed an unprecedented 1 billion shekel plan to invest in public housing last week.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Housing and Construction Minister Yoav Gallant announced the plan following intense efforts by the 12-member forum that is funded by the New Israel Fund.

The Public Housing Forum was founded by Shatil in 2011 as a result of protests by hundreds of thousands of Israelis around the country from all walks of life demanding more affordable housing.

The demonstrations were sparked by a protest tent set up in Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard by a 25-year-old video editor. At their peak on one night of the protests, an estimated 10 percent of Israel’s population attended rallies.

According to the new plan at least 2,000 housing units will be made available to those eligible and the conditions for the eventual purchase of public housing by renters will be loosened.

The forum welcomes this breakthrough and is following the developments carefully to examine the implementation of the program.