Tel Aviv: NIS 4,000 apartment - joining the city's discounted rent lottery

Living affordably in Tel Aviv becomes a reality – at least some people – as the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality opens registration on Sunday for the annual lottery of affordable housing. This initiative follows the announcement that in 2024, over 150 apartments will be built for eligible residents in Tel Aviv-Yafo across 7 different projects in the city. 

Prospective applicants will complete a brief questionnaire to assess eligibility and determine the suitable apartment size based on household composition. For the first time, applicants can select the project they prefer to register for. Registration began on March 3, 2024, and will conclude on March 24.

Rent Discount Up to 50%

Since 2012, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality has been actively promoting diverse housing solutions at discounted rates for residents. In line with the approved municipal housing policy addressing affordable housing on private and municipal land, initiatives on private land will offer approximately 10%-15% of housing at reduced prices, while on urban land, this figure increases to 50%. 

Moreover, the city council has set the discount rate for affordable housing on private land at 40% of the market price, with rental rates for municipal land set at 25% of household income for those in the 5th income decile. 

Concurrently, efforts to regulate the private rental market continue, recognizing the necessity for collaboration between central and local governments to mitigate housing costs. 

Presently, the city boasts over 400 readily accessible housing units, with numerous others in various planning stages. Detailed project information, including rental prices and management fees, is available on the municipal company "Ezra and Betzron" website.

These are the lotteries scheduled for 2024

• East& Project: Offering sixty 3-room units on Tozeret Ha'aretz Street, with monthly rents of around NIS 4,000.
• Shapira Gardens Project: Featuring 48 3-room units at 17 Tori Zahav St., with monthly rents ranging from NIS 3,500 to NIS 4,600 and a management fee of NIS 450 per month.
• Gindi Hasmonaim Project: Providing 21 two-room units near Karlibach and Hashmonaim streets, with monthly rents of approximately NIS 4,200 and a management fee of NIS 450 per month.
• Yad Eliyahu Project: Comprising twelve 1-2 room units scattered throughout the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood, with monthly rents varying from NIS 1,800 to NIS 2,800.
• WE Project: Offering six 2-3 room units near Derech HaShalom and Azrieli Towers, with monthly rents around NIS 4,300 to NIS 5,000 and a management fee of NIS 350 per month.
• Yasod HaMaale Project: Featuring two 3-room units at 33 Yosod HaMaale Street, with monthly rents at NIS 3,100.
• Midtown Tel Aviv Project: Offering two 3-room units near Sarona Park and Azrieli Towers, with monthly rents around NIS 6,100 and a management fee of NIS 470 per month.

Candidates must meet five criteria:

1. Homelessness: All adults in the household must be homeless or own less than one-third of an apartment.

2. Residency: At least one adult in the household must be an Israeli citizen residing in Tel Aviv-Yafo for either three years preceding the determining date or four of the ten years preceding the determining date.

3. Maximum Incomes: The total gross average monthly income of all adults in the household for the last 12 months preceding the determining date must not exceed the upper limit for the monthly income of a household in the seventh decile, according to National Insurance Institute data. Income will be assessed based on the number of people in the household, starting from two. For self-employed individuals, income will be evaluated based on the last annual report submitted to tax authorities.

4. Maximum Equity: The total income of all adults in the household must not exceed NIS 600,000 (excluding pension).

5. Minimum Age: At least one adult in the household must be 26 years of age or older.

These eligibility criteria were established by the Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Council. During registration, contestants are only required to sign a statement confirming their understanding of the criteria. Only lottery winners will need to provide necessary documents.

"The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa remains at the forefront of the housing revolution by planning an unprecedented number of affordable housing apartments in the city," Mayor Ron Huldai said. "Hundreds of such units are currently inhabited, with thousands more in planning and construction phases.

"Addressing the housing crisis is a national challenge, and we will continue our efforts to provide as many affordable housing options as possible throughout the city," he said. "Our goal is to create an attractive city for a diverse population, and we hope the state will join us in this endeavor. We're proud to launch the annual registration system, enabling residents to compete for all available housing lotteries with just one registration.

"Good luck to all!"