Jerusalem City Hall officials are boasting a victory after succeeded in temporarily halting the building plan in the Kiryat Yovel area of the city. The city opposed the planned construction of 53 exclusive homes on a plot of land in the growing frum community, seeking to build more affordable housing in line with Mayor Nir Barkat’s master housing plan. The Jerusalem District Court last week ruled in favor of the city, seeking to halt the exclusive project.

The court on Thursday froze the building tender, permitting the city to present its master plan for the plot of land within 60 days. The mayor turned to Housing Minister Ariel Atias a number of weeks ago requesting that he hold off on the exclusive project to permit the city to use the land for 300 affordable housing units  for  young couples, in line with ongoing city efforts to prevent the young from leaving the capital.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)