Last week, the Ministerial Committee for Jerusalem Affairs
submitted its recommendation to the government for adoption
of a plan to help those wishing to purchase apartments in
Jerusalem. The plan will aid eligible families who now lack
apartments, immigrants, students, authorized rabbis and high-
tech personnel already employed in Jerusalem who do not live
in the city. In addition, the Committee decided to accelerate
the approval of plans to build more apartments in the
city.
In his explanation of the proposal, Minister Chaim Ramon
wrote that due to residents' emigration from Jerusalem,
immediate measures must be taken to encourage the purchase of
apartments in the city. This trend, which has been increasing
over the last few years, must be halted, he said. People of
means tend to leave the city even more than their less
wealthy counterparts, most of them relocating to outlying
settlements up to 30 kilometers from the city.
The plan will be offered for a period of thirty months. Aid
will to be given to those not currently owning an apartment
for purchase of new apartments anywhere in the city. The
grant will consist of NIS 20,000 and a loan of NIS 40,0000.
Grants for participation in rental expenses will be raised by
25% for immigrants. A grant of NIS 40,000 will be given to
immigrants purchasing apartments in the city, in addition to
the aid already given to immigrants.
A grant of NIS 40,000 will be given to students who currently
study or once studied in Jerusalem. Rabbis who study in
Jerusalem yeshivas who lived outside of the city before they
began their studies but now wish to purchase apartments in
the city will receive the same grant. In addition, a grant of
NIS 40,000 will be given to employees of high-tech
enterprises in Jerusalem. NIS 57 million will be allocated
for grants and 14 million NIS for credit.
The Committee also decided that the government will accord
administrative preference to the promotion of the West
Jerusalem plan, which includes 17,000-23,000 dwelling units.
700 apartments are to be built in the area of the Foreign
Affairs Ministry compound near the entrance to Jerusalem;
1000 at the Harechev area; 3,600 at Givat Hamatos; 1,150 on
Pri-Har; 900 at Ramat Rachel; 2,000 at Mitzpeh Neftoach; 600
at the Schneller compound and 2,700 at Har Choma.
Most of the sites are already in advanced planning stages in
the Committee for Planning and Building in the Jerusalem
Municipality, headed by Deputy Mayor Rabbi Uri
Lapolianski.
