A team of professionals from the Ministry of Construction and the Haredi Institute formulated a comprehensive, detailed plan that includes an analysis of Haredi housing needs in Israel, based on a long-term vision of the next twenty years.
Minister of Construction Yoav Galant said that “the Ministry of Construction is working to address the housing needs of the Haredi community as well as those of the general population in Israel. The program maps out the expected demand for housing over the next twenty years, while thoroughly assessing the future needs of the Haredi sector. The government must take action as regards suitable planning and development that will solve the housing shortage plaguing the entire country. Every person and every family has a right to decent housing.
The plan examines Haredi housing needs in accordance with demographic projections, with special attention given to the communal diversity in Israeli society as well as the diversity within the Haredi community. This is the first time a housing plan is being formulated in cooperation with the Haredi community, which is working toward building a professional strategic plan for itself. Within this framework, round table discussions were held with key players representing various subgroups within the Haredi sector, as well as professionals in relevant fields.
The plan indicates a need for planning and developing 200,000 housing units for the Haredi sector over the next twenty-year period as a result of the Haredi population doubling in number during this time. According to the study, in 2014 the Haredi population numbered 910,500 citizens, constituting almost 10% of the general population. The demographic projection of the Haredi sector for 2035 stands at 1,891,300, which will constitute 17.2% of the general population in Israel.
The research indicates that in order to meet the expected demand for housing in the Haredi sector, the government is going to have to devise a wide range of solutions. This joint initiative to develop housing solutions for the Haredi population in Israel is the first time such a thorough study is being conducted, based on reliable, intra-Haredi data, and which has gained recognition from the various government ministries involved.
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As a continuation to the Haredi Institute’s Housing Plan which earned governmental recognition in 2016, the second stage of the study, done in collaboration with the Housing Ministry, includes planning norms for Haredi residential centers, with regard to public areas, educational facilities, commerce, employment and transportation. Just as the 2016 plan proposed by the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs was adopted by the government as its guidebook for housing solutions for the Haredi sector, phase two zooms in on the micro facets and was adopted the government as its guidebook to proper infrastructure for Haredi towns and neighborhoods.