The Mossawa Center has accused the Israel Land Authority of obstructing the marketing of over 11,429 housing units in Arab towns, worsening the housing crisis for Palestinian Arab families. Despite the Ministry of Housing’s commitment to planning 60,000 housing units in Arab towns between 2022 and 2026, the Land Authority has halted tenders, insisting on opening them to residents from outside these towns. This policy has already resulted in more than 150 units in one Arab town being marketed to external investors, further marginalizing local families and young couples.

 

Towns ready to market housing units, including Sakhnin, Kafr Qasim, Arraba, and Umm al-Fahm, have seen thousands of ready-to-market units delayed. As a result, young couples are increasingly moving to mixed towns such as Haifa, Nof Hagalil, and Be’er Sheva, draining Arab towns of their youth and potential for growth.

 

The housing crisis is exacerbated by limited designated land for housing in Arab towns and complications in expanding structural maps. Even after planning zones are expanded, processes like land parceling and detailed mapping face obstacles, particularly on privately owned lands. This situation forces many families to build homes without permits, risking severe penalties, fines, and demolitions.

 

The Mossawa Center’s Economic Development Conference on December 12, 2024, in Nazareth will address these critical issues. A dedicated housing session will feature key stakeholders, including mayors, urban planners, and Ministry of Housing representatives, to explore solutions for the ongoing crisis.

 

Despite government plans allocating budgets for housing, these funds remain underutilized, hampered by bureaucratic inefficiencies and policies that disproportionately disadvantage Arab towns. Without urgent action to address these systemic barriers, the housing crisis will continue to escalate, deepening inequality and social challenges for Palestinian Arab communities in Israel.