Haredi Housing Minister Calls For Mortgage Subsidies That Would Primarily Benefit…Haredim

Opponents argued that the haredi parties were advancing the initiative while they knew that the Housing Ministry was planning more than 60,000 homes for haredim in the periphery. Tens of thousands of homes would be built in the near future. As a result, the ultra-Orthodox would be the main beneficiaries of the subsidy.

Atias' call for mortgage subsidies draws cheers, jeers
Opponents argued that plan to subsidize mortgages for young couples in country's outskirts would mainly help ultra-Orthodox, the support base of Atias' Shas party.
By Zvi Zrahiya • Ha’aretz / The Marker

Housing Minister Ariel Atias' call to subsidize mortgages for young couples in the country's outskirts drew a mix of support and fire over the weekend, as proponents said the idea would indeed help its target audience.

Opponents argued that the plan would mainly help the ultra-Orthodox, the support base of Atias' Shas party.

Atias wants the state to give a monthly subsidy of NIS 500 to NIS 800 to young couples buying their first home in the country's periphery.

Hiddush - Freedom of Religion for Israel argued that Atias and the Haredi parties were advancing the initiative while they knew that the Housing Ministry was planning more than 60,000 homes for Haredim in the periphery. Tens of thousands of homes would be built in the near future. As a result, the ultra-Orthodox would be the main beneficiaries of the subsidy, Hiddush argued.

"Mortgage payments will be a new kind of allowance for Haredim, another NIS 450 to NIS 800 per family," said Hiddush's head, Rabbi Uri Regev. "This kind of benefit will kill the chances of getting a family like that into the workforce." But former Finance Ministry Director General Yossi Bachar, now Bank Discount's chairman, said he supported Atias' idea.

"I know it doesn't sound good in 'Finance' speak, but it's a possibility during emergencies," he said. "I don't like subsidies, but in this case I definitely support the minister's position and think he's going in the right direction. They need to boost demand in the periphery and increase the land for building in the center."

 

Comments

[Adam Neira]

Quelle surprise !

A politician trying to help his constituents. That is his job. Setting creates behaviour. This is why righteous, fair leadership at the very top is required in a mature nation. A good father with many children needs to make executive decisions on behalf of his charges. The problem with parliamentary democracy is that priorities can be swayed by short term political imperatives. Methinks, the Holy Land needs a 39 year plan.

World Peace 2050 anyone ?

[ruthie]

LOL why are we surprised???...come to monsey, new square, kiryas joel, heck...brooklyn! this is how 95% of the frum chassidim live..RICH and poor...off gov.t subsidies.

[jancsipista]

the more you give them the more they want if you give them an inch they will ask for a foot ruthie hit the nail on its head, they survive and thrive on subsidies of all sorts rich or poor

[danny]

It's kind of freaking me out, but Minister Atias looks very similar to my own face. It's also kind of pissing me off that someone out there stole my look.

Why is it necessary to "own" a mortgage rather than "lease" an apartment? These terms become dubious as the government ends up giving a direct deposit subsidy.

[Alter Kocker]

No no no-no more subsidized housing for these welfare leetches. Stop paying them, feeding them, letting them stay out of the army.

Get rid of the Netanyahu coalition which panders to these black hatted momsers. They need to work, in order to pay their bills and get off welfare.

[Jay]

Hey Adam, I wonder how you would feel if people in your town who were already on the dole were using political leverage to get more financing. I doubt you'd be so sanguine.

[Adam Neira]

To Jay,

It is all about balance with the welfare payments for people. Chronic dependency should not be fostered. However all people in a society are interconnected in some way. No-one is truly totally independent.

Regarding my "sanguineness", the best approximation of my philosophy is summed up by the song lines from a 1942 Johnny Mercer classic,

"You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, hold onto the affirmative and don't mess with Mr. In-Between !"

He wrote in the midst of the very dark days of World War Two when great existential threats were present to the good people of America. The calm, warm, melancholy, hopeful and yet realistic song was very popular at the time.

You should listen to it, but for some reason I suspect you might be bitter about something, and find taking advice difficult.

[Jay]

You can psychoanalyze someone from a few lines of text, can you? Perhaps you mistake righteous indignation for bitterness.

[Hometown Postville]

Gee, when can I buy a house for a couple hundred more a month than I can afford and have the gov't pay for it?

[seymour]

amazing the frum have no shame