Inside Israel's homelessness crisis: A system struggling to keep up

The article examines Israel's homelessness crisis, highlighting a system that fails to accurately count or adequately support its homeless population. NGOs like HomeBase report higher numbers than official government figures, which rely on restrictive criteria and underreporting. The piece details gaps in government aid, including a lack of a national housing strategy, insufficient shelter beds, and social worker shortages, while calling for greater government support.

The article examines Israel's homelessness crisis, arguing that the government's system to combat it is failing. It reports that the State of Israel officially recognizes approximately 3,500 street dwellers, with 1,500 in Tel Aviv and 300 in Jerusalem, according to Ori Shoham, founder-CEO of the NGO HomeBase. The OECD reported a larger figure of 3,900 homeless individuals in 2024. The piece highlights that Israel's definition of a street dweller is harsher than in other OECD countries, excluding minors, evictees, released prisoners, and domestic violence victims, which may cause official counts to be hundreds off. The Welfare Ministry's data collection method, relying on municipal reports and recognized recipients of services, further undercounts the problem. NGOs report larger numbers than the government. Government aid includes two monthly stipends totaling NIS 1,900, temporary overnight shelters (gagonim) with about 180 beds in seven cities, and social worker treatment units in 19 cities. However, the supply of social workers cannot keep up, with a ratio of about 10 workers per 150 patients, meaning patients are seen roughly once a month. A 2022 Knesset report found no national homeless strategy or permanent housing plan. The article's framing relies on NGO testimony and Knesset findings to argue that the system is struggling.