Nine emergency missions: The next government's agenda in the housing market

A report by Arik Mirovsky in Globes details nine key challenges in the Israeli housing market that the next government will need to address: weak land marketing by the Israel Land Authority, failures in housing lotteries with a five-year wait, a planning surplus of 1.5 million apartments, a lack of public transportation, local authorities without economic backing, and a rental market where only 4% of apartments are rented long-term.

A report by Arik Mirovsky in Globes presents nine emergency missions facing the next government in the housing market. Among the challenges: weak land marketing by the Israel Land Authority this year, partly due to the controversial appointment of Yehuda Eliyahu as its director; failures in housing lotteries, where winners wait five years or more for occupancy, creating uncertainty and economic damage; a huge planning surplus of about 1.5 million apartments that have been approved but not built, harming the viability of urban renewal; a lack of adequate public transportation in the periphery, limiting housing options; local authorities like Ofakim and Kiryat Gat undergoing rapid growth without sufficient economic backing; a rental market where only 4% of apartments are held by companies long-term; and the issue of property tax. The article states that a deep systemic overhaul and new policy are needed, not more off-the-shelf solutions.