Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit signed an order permitting the establishment of a planning authority for the new Katzir-Charish local municipality. A ministry official explained that in light of reports of “delays” in the move, the announcement was made on Monday, but in actuality, the order was signed last week.

The move brings an end to two years of bureaucratic foot-dragging, placing the administrative ball in the Housing Ministry’s lap, permitting planning for 11,000 housing units and public areas in the coming months.

Sheetrit’s move in essence permits the establishment of a unique planning authority specifically for this project, which officials hope will serve as home to 25,000 housing units in the future.

The Katzir-Charish project appears will be the next major chareidi community construction project (reported HERE on YWN), seeking to provide housing for the continuously growing frum community in Israel, which seems to live with a chronic housing shortage.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)