Jerusalem District Court Justice Dr. Yigal Marzel handed down a precedent setting decision, overruling a Housing Ministry regulation. The court disqualified a regulation prohibiting one from obtaining a government rent subsidy for a rented apartment in communities in which the rental market is defined as ‘small’.

The regulation applies to communities with under 1,000 families or a community with a relatively small number of homes for rent; under 30 or less than 5% of the total number of housing units in that community. The court’s decision will only go into effect in a year.

The petition was filed by ACRI (Association for Civil Rights in Israel) on behalf of Iris Sarig, who has been seeking government assistance for a rental in the southern community of Zikim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)