Gadi Eisenkot Unveils Housing Plan Focused on Long-Term Renting and Streamlining Bureaucracy

The "Yisrael" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, has presented a comprehensive plan to address Israel's housing crisis, shifting focus from rapid construction promises to tackling systemic planning and bureaucratic inefficiencies. The proposal, presented at the Dagan Conference at Netanya Academic College, emphasizes increasing the number of actually built and occupied housing units rather than just approved plans. The party aims to reform Israel's complex planning and construction system, which involves numerous government bodies like the Planning Administration, Israel Land Authority, and various ministries, each with overlapping authorities that can cause delays.

Yisrael proposes strengthening the National Planning Directorate to better coordinate these entities and redefine their roles. A key aspect involves changing the Israel Land Authority's approach from solely maximizing revenue from tenders to using land as a tool for promoting construction and infrastructure. The plan also seeks to empower local authorities by granting more powers to capable municipalities and establishing teams to expedite building permits, backed by professional staff and budgets, to shorten the time from plan approval to construction permits.

The party's plan addresses the financial disincentives for local authorities to approve residential construction, suggesting a review of revenue sharing from employment and industrial zones to better cover the costs of new residents. It also includes incentives for contractors who meet deadlines, penalties for delays, and measures to increase the workforce and adopt new construction technologies. For urban renewal, the focus is on strengthening existing cities, offering additional rights for projects that have lost economic viability, and subsidizing projects in peripheral areas.

A significant portion of the plan is dedicated to the rental market, proposing the publication of real-time rental and purchase price data, expansion of long-term rental options, and tax incentives for landlords offering extended leases. Rules to limit rent increases during contract periods are also suggested, with priority for soldiers and reservists in long-term rental programs. The plan aims to reform the system so that the party who hires a real estate agent pays their fee, promote digital rental contracts, and provide legal aid to tenants, alongside faster dispute resolution mechanisms.

Eisenkot stated that the housing crisis is not inevitable but requires more than superficial measures. He emphasized a shift in focus from approved units to actual construction and livable neighborhoods, planning not just apartments but the surrounding infrastructure and amenities. The plan seeks to unblock bottlenecks, transfer authority to capable local bodies, and create a stable and fair rental market.