Housing Minister (Kulanu) Yoav Galant briefed the Ministerial Committee on the Integration of Israeli Citizens of Ethiopian Origin on the successful implementation of the mortgage assistance plan for families of Ethiopian origin and the urban renewal plan.

Under the plan, NIS 120 million has been allocated for housing loans to 200 families and couples of Ethiopian origin per annum, for four years.

In 2017, the first year of the plan, 184 couples and families used the assistance to purchase apartments in communities throughout the country. Additional families and couples are in the process of applying for the assistance.

In order to facilitate optimal realization of the assistance, couples are also entitled to advice in purchasing apartments and taking mortgages from the Israel Interest-free Loan Fund. Regarding the urban renewal plan, achievements in five neighborhoods – at an overall investment of NIS 120 million over five years – were presented. Since the plan was approved last month, agreements have been signed with the three local councils where the neighborhoods are located.

Regarding the ministerial committee:

93% (66 out of 71) actions set by the committee have been implemented to date.

The ministerial committee monitors all actions under the government plan for integrating Israelis of Ethiopian origin. The plan includes 71 actions worth NIS 165 million per annum (not including housing).

The actions are being implemented by ten ministries and agencies and entail all aspects of life. Among the plans approved by the committee: Scholastic enrichment in order to increase matriculation eligibility, boosting efforts to locate gifted and outstanding students and integrating them into appropriate frameworks, increasing the number of IDF and Israel Police officers, integrating academics into high-paying private sector jobs, and issuing subsidy coupons for children’s extra-curricular activities (since last September over 3,500 children have been participating in a variety of arts-and-crafts, music, sports and science activities).

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)