Life on the Margins: The Invisible People of Israel's Streets

An investigative report on homelessness in Israel, focusing on three personal stories: Shalom, who was kicked out of home at age 12 and found refuge in drugs; Yossi, who lost his business and home and sleeps in public gardens; and Sergei, who declined from a tech career to the streets. The report notes that about 4,500 homeless people live in Israel, but the Welfare Ministry's out-of-home system has beds for only about 870 of them.

An investigative report on the phenomenon of homelessness in Israel, focusing on three personal stories representing different paths to the street. Shalom (28) was kicked out of home at age 12, lived on the street and became addicted to drugs, and spoke about the fear of sleeping on the street and prostitution for survival. Yossi Azoulay (68) lost his silver jewelry business that collapsed financially, got divorced, was cut off from his daughter, and slept for years in public gardens in Tel Aviv. Sergei (43) immigrated from Ukraine, studied computer science in Germany, built a successful tech career, but at age 30 started using drugs and declined to the street. The report cites data from the Welfare Ministry: about 4,500 homeless people live in Israel, but the out-of-home system has beds for only about 870 of them. Shelters operate in only four locations – three in Tel Aviv and one in Rishon LeZion. The 'Housing First' model, which was supposed to provide stable housing without requiring rehabilitation, has not yet been implemented despite being considered since 2022. Shelter manager Lihiya Tounik describes the difficulty of building trust with homeless people, who have been burned many times by the systems. The report presents the criticism of the homeless about institutional bureaucracy, and ends with their hopes for the future: Shalom has been clean from drugs for two years and wishes for a respectable job and an apartment; Sergei aspires to stay clean and persevere.