Public Housing Conference

8 January 2015

At the end of December, more than 80 activists, professionals, and ordinary citizens participated in a public conference addressing equitable housing and planning solutions in Tel Aviv. The focus of the conference was to ensure that a new housing project planned on lands currently occupied by Sde Dov Airport will provide diverse housing solutions.

Presenters discussed the municipalities’ capability to implement equitable city planning solutions; shared international planning models offering public and affordable housing solutions; and explored the feasibility of various plans for Tel Aviv. The evening concluded after community activist Meital Dahan, and MKs representing diverse political parties presented their views on the ongoing housing crisis in Israel and specifically on public housing solutions. The conference was organized by the SHATIL-coordinated Forum for Public Housing, the Coalition for Affordable Housing and others.

The conference received significant media attention including radio interviews with SHATIL Advocacy Specialist Danny Gigi and Housing and Planning Coordinator Omer Cohen.

Activists hope to leverage this public attention to encourage the adoption of a program providing diverse housing solutions in Sde Dov that will serve as a model for similar initiatives throughout the country.