News analysis Netanyahu's housing plan not to satisfy critics
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented Tuesday his plan to deal with the housing crisis as demonstrations throughout the country continued for a second straight week.
Netanyahu, who has been criticized by the opposition and within his own party for his handling of the situation, convened a special press conference to outline emergency measures aimed to alleviate the housing distress.
Under the proposed plan, the state will subsidize a 50-percent discount on government-controlled lands designated for the construction of low-cost housing projects for both purchase and renting. Other measures include lowering public transportation fares and persuading commercial real estate owners to convert their properties into residences via incentives.
Netanyahu estimated that some 50,000 new housing units would become available within 18 months, 10,000 of which are dormitories for university and college students.
Rent control is uncommon in Israel as most people lease their apartments from private landlords without any official regulation on prices.
Analysts said Netanyahu's plan would alleviate the housing crisis more or less, but only in three to five years, which wouldn 't be enough to satisfy the protesters. However, some new legislation the demonstrators demand may not solve the problem at all due to the lack of implementation.
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