“Israel’s Arab community should realize the fact that the housing tradition of villas and private homes, has to end. Arab community heads will have to invest time and effort to instill the concept of high-rises,” Ministry of Housing and Construction director general Shmuel Aboav told Sikkuy - Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel.
Figures show that 91% of Arab households own their own home, compared with a national average of 70.4%. 70% of Arab households live in a house, and 4% live in a shack or tent (10,200 families). 61% of Arab households will require at least one housing unit over the next ten years.
The problem of housing in the Arab community, as raised at the meeting, centers on the population density and type of housing, since most Arabs want to reside in their home community. Internal migration between communities is low, and moving to Jewish neighborhoods engenders problems with the residents.
Aboav said a joint committee comprising the Ministry of Housing, public representative, local authorities, and NPOs should be set up to formulate these problems, offer solutions, and monitor the implementation of government housing decisions.
Aboav emphasized that, despite the difficulties, the Ministry of Housing must deal with the problem of housing in the Arab community. He added that adopting the Gadish committee recommendations, including the marketing of land and construction of housing for minorities by the Ministry of Housing, would constitute a positive breakthrough.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on November 6, 2005