Kiryat Shmona's Deputy Mayor, Ofir Yehezkali, who also chairs the local planning and construction committee, has written a letter to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Construction and Housing Yitzhak Goldknopf, and Israel Land Authority CEO YankyQuint, addressing the crucial issue of retaining young families in the northern city close to the border with Lebanon.
According to Yehezkali's letter, many young residents who were born and raised in Kiryat Shmona started families, and wish to stay in the city, but are unable to secure housing at a reduced price through the lottery system.
Yehezkali points out that the Israel Land Council Decisions File Amendment 3/20 specifies that only 50% of those eligible to purchase land in settlements along the conflict line are allowed to participate in the lottery for reduced-price housing. Despite the recent development of two new neighborhoods, Yuval and Bimat Tel Hai, comprising approximately 1,500 housing units, many eligible families are unable to secure an apartment.
The deputy mayor cites a recent lottery where 1,334 eligible participants competed for 72 apartments, including 508 families without homes. Shockingly, only 44 apartments were won by eligible families, representing a mere 60 percent of those available. The remaining apartments were awarded to ineligible families, primarily investors who rent them out at high prices to young couples in need.
In light of this, the municipality urges the Israel Land Authority Council to amend its decision and grant 100% priority to local residents in conflict line settlements like Kiryat Shmona. Yehezkali highlights that minority settlements already enjoy a 75% allocation for local residents, with the authority having the power to increase it to 100% in settlements in the northern and Haifa regions.
Yehezkali concludes by expressing his concern over the negative migration of young people from Kiryat Shmona, primarily due to the scarcity of available land for construction. He mentioned the municipality's strategic plan to develop a new quarter in the city, which would provide around 5,000 housing units.
While attracting new residents is important, he emphasizes the need to prioritize the housing opportunities for young people who have grown up in the city and desire to continue living there.