UTJ Knesset members Yakov Asher and Yitzhak Pindrus on Sunday night visited the offices of the Lev Echad (literally One Heart) organization to discuss the haredi housing shortage prior to an upcoming conference on the subject.
During the discussion, the MKs stressed the importance of finding at least a preliminary solution for the severe housing shortage, by focusing on cities in the periphery while taking into account the preference for living in areas which have more space and are less cramped, as well as the need for haredi schools and kollels (yeshivas for married men) and appropriate employment opportunities for women.
Pindrus urged launching a campaign emphasizing the advantages of living in the periphery.
The second stage, Asher said, is founding additional haredi cities and expanding existing cities by adding haredi neighborhoods which will provide tens of thousands of housing units within the next few years.
Both Pindrus and Asher emphasized that the haredi community's demands and the solutions suggested must be clear, or they will not be part of the coalition agreements.
The meeting ended with an agreement that Lev Echad and the MKs will launch a campaign presenting their proposed solutions to the public.
The goal is to "provide a solution for young couples who are yearning for an immediate solution and collapsing under the financial burden resting on their shoulders and their parents' shoulders," a statement from Lev Echad said.