The Cabinet this morning, approved housing benefits in communities in national priority areas.

The benefits include – inter alia – subsidies for development costs up to NIS 150,000 in agricultural communities and NIS 107,000 in cities, as well as supplementary housing loans of up to NIS 100,000.

At the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it was also decided that communities in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip will enjoy maximum benefits.  He also directed that a decision on adding the communities on the northern confrontation line be submitted for Cabinet approval within two weeks.

The decision is designed to encourage positive migration to the communities and to assist in finding solutions to ease the housing situation.  The decision will also contribute to economically strengthening these communities.

Among the communities included are: Kiryat Shemona, Beit Shean, Sderot, Safed, Dimona, Hurfeish, Rama, Maalot-Tarshiha, Nahariya, Upper Nazareth, Migdal Haemek.