Israel Halts Housing Program Website Amid Legal Changes
The Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing has temporarily shut down its "Apartment for Discount" (Dira Ba'Hanchaha) website, halting the issuance and renewal of eligibility certificates. This closure is a direct result of a High Court of Justice ruling and subsequent legal counsel directives concerning individuals who have not regularized their military conscription status with the IDF. While previous lottery wins will not be canceled due to this issue, individuals on waiting lists who fall under these conscription directives will be removed.
The "Apartment for Discount" program, which offers subsidized housing, has faced previous disruptions. In April, the High Court ordered an end to the participation of individuals with unregularized conscription status. The current closure is the second time this year that the program has been halted due to the ruling, now impacting those already in the waiting process. The Ministry is updating its systems to comply with these new regulations, with applications submitted after a specific deadline on September 17th to be processed only after the system updates are complete.
Eligibility certificates, valid for one year, are required to participate in the program's lotteries. The website's closure prevents both new applications and renewals, creating an "unclear zone" for those whose certificates are set to expire during the shutdown. The Ministry has not provided an automatic extension for these certificates. The program requires winners to reside in the purchased apartment for a set number of years, with preferences given to local residents and individuals with disabilities.
The current lottery round, involving 7,922 apartments across 19 locations, was previously frozen in the spring. A temporary solution involved splitting the lottery, with approximately 4,000 apartments allocated to reservists, including a preference for combat soldiers, and the remainder to the general public at a later stage. The Ministry has indicated that further information will be provided after Yom Kippur, but has not committed to a reopening date.