Construction and Housing Minister Uri Ariel toured Jerusalem construction sites alongside Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat on Thursday, and noted that over 4,000 new apartments were being built at this moment in Israel's capital city.
"In order to lower the prices of housing in Jerusalem,” he explained, “building must be carried out in it, as must marketing and the issuing of building permits.
"Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Israel, and frezing construction in it is unthinkable,” he stressed. “I will continue to prepare building and marketing plans in Jerusalem, just like all the rest of Israel.”
Barkat noted that 2013 had been a record year for the number of residential units whose construction had begun, and also in the number whose construction had been completed. Constrution of a total of 3,442 housing units was started in 2013, breaking a 20-year record, he said. In 2012, 2,470 units were built, and in 2011, 2,360.
Housing completions were similary up in 2013, reaching 2,430 units, compared with 1,760 in 2012 and 1,360 in 2011.