The government today approved the plan formulated by the Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, and the Ministers of Immigration and Absorption, Finance, Interior, Construction and Housing and Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee, for the absorption of immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and the region.
From the words of the Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, at the beginning of the meeting:
“Israel is part of the world and the world is in difficult and shaky times. We are managing this complex crisis with sensitivity, responsibility and an attempt to reach out as much as we can.
We are currently preparing for the absorption of immigrants and those entitled to the Law of Return, with all the package that the state has to provide for the immigrants: an absorption basket, housing assistance, education, first and foremost a big hug.
At the same time, we, as a people and a society, will humanitarianly help the citizens of Ukraine who are staying here temporarily, for a few weeks, or months, until the situation there calms down. I see that there are many families hosting in the near future, and that is very important. “
Here are the main points of the program:
• Preparing for housing solutions in the short term:
Rent assistance
Renovation of buildings owned by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and making them available to immigrants
Locating and realizing the potential of available housing in the short term in favor of preparing for the possibility of a shortage of available housing solutions for the absorption of immigrants
• Preparations for expanding the supply of housing solutions in the medium term:
– Locating temporary housing complexes, including in evacuated IDF camps, along with promoting a detailed national outline plan for placing temporary housing in accordance with the reference scenarios
Preparations to increase the stock of portable housing, and their establishment without a permit
Examination of the possibility of determining in a temporary order the splitting of apartments in favor of housing for immigrants
• Preparations for increasing housing in the long run:
Examination of measures in favor of increasing supply in the housing market and necessary legislative amendments
– Mapping housing barriers and promoting plans that include a large number of housing units, shortening licensing procedures, encouraging planning and realization in private land and encouraging the realization of residential plots and restoring undeveloped residential plots to the state
In addition, the decision will formulate the municipal needs arising from the challenges of absorption in the areas of education, welfare and strengthening the community envelope, in ongoing dialogue with the local government. The required responses to immigrants will also be intensified as part of the services provided today to all new immigrants.