The cabinet today approved Minister of Housing and Construction Ariel Atias's proposal for NIS 100,000 grants to young couples to buy apartments in outlying areas.
The cabinet also approved the list of communities where the grants will apply: Arad, El Sayed, Hura, Mitzpeh Ramon, Netivot, Ofakim, Rahat, Sderot, and Yeruham, in the Negev; and Acre, Bueina Nujidat, Beit She'an, Carmiel, Hatzor Haglilit, Kfar Manda, Kiryat Shmona, Naharia, Nahf, Nazareth, Upper Nazareth, Safed, Sakhnin, Shlomi, Tiberias and Yefia, in the Galilee. The Bedouin town of Rahat and the Israeli-Arab towns of El Sayid, Hura, and Yefia were not included in the original list of towns.
For the first time, the bill sets out clear criteria for including a town in the list. It must be in a national priority A area, pursuant to cabinet decision 1060 from late 2009, and it must have a current potential of 250 housing units, in order to prevent surplus demand that would boost prices. Land prices must be low and there must have been no tenders for land published in town, or tenders that failed, in recent years.
Settlements in Judea and Samaria will be reviewed separately.
Although the list of towns is final, it could be subject to revisions after four years, when towns may be added to or relegated from the list.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 26, 2011
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011