Real estate8/13/2026

Opinion: Courts Should Take Into Account the State’s Responsibility for Public Housing

Dani Gigi, chair of the Public Housing Forum, called on Israeli courts not to view the housing shortage as sufficient justification for evicting tenants. This is the author’s position, not a court ruling or new law.

Key facts

•Author: Dani Gigi, chair of the Public Housing Forum
•The source is defined as an opinion column written by the author
•Last updated: August 13, 2026
•“Living with Dignity” plan: approximately 7,500 apartments annually
•Proposed share in new projects: 5%
•No case number or court ruling was cited

Why Families Risk Losing the Roof Over Their Heads

According to the author, the state and the companies that manage public housing demand the eviction of families that no longer meet the eligibility criteria for public housing, relying in part on the limited housing stock. Such proceedings have an especially severe impact on children, older people and people with disabilities. The publication claims that many families appear in court without a lawyer, and decisions are sometimes made without their participation.

The State’s Responsibility for the Shortage

The author links the housing shortage to years of government policy, including the failure to significantly expand the housing stock. He points to the abandonment of the idea of allocating 5% of the apartments in every new construction project to public housing and to the “Living with Dignity” plan, which was intended to add approximately 7,500 apartments annually for ten years. The article also states that budgets were not allocated and that public housing apartments stand vacant.

What Courts Are Urged to Examine

In Dani Gigi’s view, it is not enough for a court to determine formally whether a family meets the criteria. It should examine whether the state has exhausted alternatives to eviction, whether the family received legal representation, whether social services assessed the consequences, and whether the measure meets the requirements of proportionality, justice and good faith. He also proposes critically examining the information provided by the management companies, including Amidar, in light of the systemic deficiencies identified by the State Comptroller.

The Public Committee’s Report

The author relies on the report of the Public Committee for the Examination of Public Housing Eviction Policy, chaired by Maj. Gen. (res.) Orna Barbivai. In the report, eviction is not viewed as an end in itself, but as part of an overall policy and an expression of a broader problem. The original material did not cite a specific court case, a decision that had been issued or a legislative change.

What this means for you

The publication itself does not change tenants’ rights or establish binding rules for courts. For a family in a similar situation, its practical significance is the list of circumstances that the author believes should be examined before an eviction: possible alternatives, the involvement of social services, legal representation and the effects on family members.

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