Tel Aviv Municipality to Build Affordable Housing for Arab Community in Jaffa
Prices will range from 730,000 shekels to about 1 million shekels (($191,000-$262,000), depending on the size and characteristics of the apartment.
The Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality signed an agreement on Tuesday for the construction of 24 apartments to provide affordable housing for members of the Arab community in Jaffa.
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The building will be constructed by Moshe Hadif Building and Investments on a city-owned plot in Michelangelo Street.
Historically, a separate, predominantly Arab city, a large number of Jaffa’s residents were displaced in the 1948 War of Independence and the city became part of the merged municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa in 1950. Jaffa’s population is a now mix of Arabs and Jews.
The apartments in the new project will be sold according to criteria to be set by city hall. The prices will range from 730,000 shekels to about 1 million shekels (($191,000-$262,000), depending on the size and characteristics of the apartment. Building permits for the project are expected to be issued next year.
"This is one project that can serve as a model, but it won’t solve the problem in general,” said Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai, referring to the shortage of affordable housing. Calling on the state to allocate land reserves for affordable housing to address the problem on a broader basis, Huldai said his city will continue to pursue similar projects in the future.