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Ministry of Construction and Housing
Qiryat Hamemshala (East)
P.O. Box 18110, 91180 Jerusalem
Tel: 972-2-5847211
Fax: 972-2-5811904
Website: http://www.moch.gov.il/ (Hebrew)
(Source: Israel Government Year Book)
Functions and Structure
The Ministry of Construction and Housing is responsible for the Israeli construction industry and for setting a construction policy designed to achieve national, social, and technological goals; the primary aim is to provide homes for the entire population. Its functions include:
- Guiding, administering, and regulating the activities of the construction industry as a whole;
- Determining housing assistance policy for different groups: immigrants, young couples, residents of high-density and low-quality housing, residents of development regions, and construction in rural settlements;
- Building new towns, neighborhoods, and sites in accordance with the population's needs and government guidelines on population dispersal;
- Initiating and establishing new urban communities and rural settlements in accordance with government decisions;
- Preparing regional and local development plans;
- Building public institutions in development towns;
- Providing housing solutions within the framework of social welfare policy, including construction by the Ministry itself through companies (apartments for purchase or rental);
- Planning and constructing the national and regional road network;
- Promoting construction methods, including industrialized building methods, setting planning standards, and implementation;
- Determining rights and rules with regard to construction, housing sales, tenant protection, and conditions of sales;
- Administering Project Renewal.
Construction is initiated through housing companies, on both their own and State land, with partial Ministry financing, pursuant to standards that comply with the Ministry's requirements.
Housing assistance policy is set by the Ministry's head office and coordinated with the Ministry of Finance. Those entitled to housing assistance are dealt with by the district offices of the Ministry and by Ministry-subordinate companies. The goal is to streamline the procedures for implementing Ministry policy, improve the level of service provided to tenants and the level of maintenance of the properties, ensure efficient use of the housing inventory, and to identify and aid the weaker strata among those entitled to assistance. Housing loans for eligibles are administered by the mortgage banks.
The Ministry draws up general rehabilitation plans for dealing with poverty among those relocated from substandard housing. In this context, several methods are applied in existing neighborhoods, including: renovation, compensation, relocation, and alternative housing. Geo-political, security, ecological, and economic considerations determine the selection of preferred areas. The Ministry handles land-use planning and development in accordance with the country's needs (public and private market), and seeks to transfer housing construction to private initiative, with government guidance. As an interim stage, the Ministry must still plan and undertake construction in development areas, where private initiative is absent. Land is made available to contractors on the basis of public bidding, and on condition that construction be carried out in accordance with an agreed timetable and an approved plan.
When it comes to the environment, the Ministry's aims are as follows: planning and development of complete residential fabrics, including the construction of public institutions, commercial space, and recreational and leisure facilities, provision of a sanitation infrastructure (trash disposal, pollution and noise prevention in residential areas), and development of national, regional, and local road networks for vehicular traffic. All of these must comply with defined standards as to aesthetic values in the construction of new neighborhoods and rehabilitation of existing ones, encouraging and providing effective assistance to the proper maintenance of existing housing, and renovation of neighborhoods and buildings.
The Ministry operates from its head office in Jerusalem and five district offices - in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheva, and Nazareth. The departments and units of the head office set construction and assistance policy. Each district is responsible for planning and implementation, supervising construction activities, and providing direct assistance to the public.
Construction in rural settlements is handled by a separate unit, oriented to the tasks required by this sector: the Rural Building and New Settlements Administration (RBA).
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