Interior Minister Aryeh Deri met with the head of the Housing department in the Treasury, Avigdor Yitzhaki, and the two agreed on the establishment of a new haredi neighborhood near Kiryat Gat which will number 10,000 units.
The apartments will be marketed to the public based on the "price per resident' system which offers reduced price housing to those eligible for benefits, such as young couples who never owned an apartment before.
The neighborhood is to be built on land belonging to the community of Uzza in the Shafir regional authority south of Kiryat Gat, and will be rezoned for housing in a rapid procedure by the Planning Authority.
According to Deri's aides, during the course of the planning procedure a special committee will be set up to plan the new neighborhood so that it will be possible to expedite bureaucratic processes in a more efficient manner.
Interior Minister Deri who has been promoting the project for many months welcomed the agreement and said "this is great news for the haredi public which is suffering from a severe housing shortage. We have initiated a sizable amount of 10,000 housing units which will be located in the center of the country. They will provide a partial but significant solution to this difficult problem. It was important to me to ensure that this neighborhood should be eligible for the 'price per resident' system so as to provide opportunities to many homeless haredi families who will be able to own the roof over their heads for an affordable price."