New Chareidi Neighborhood Planned Near Kiryat Gat

A plan for the building of a new neighborhood for chareidim near the city of Kiryat Gat has received initial approval, Arutz Sheva reported on Wednesday night.

Interior Minister Rabbi Aryeh Deri, who has long backed the idea, declared on Wednesday that “this is great news for the chareidi 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 that this neighborhood should be within the ‘price per resident’ system so as to provide opportunities to many…chareidi families which will be able to obtain a roof over their heads for a cheap price.”

The announcement was made after a meeting of Rabbi Deri with Avigdor Yitzhaki, who heads the Housing division in the Finance Ministry, at which it was agreed to advance the plan.

Marketing will be according to the “price per resident” system, which offers low-cost housing to those eligible for benefits, such as young couples buying their first apartment.

Kiryat Gat, which is located 35 miles south of Tel Aviv, has a population of approximately 55,000, but the projected growth is between 85-90,000 by 2020.