55% of homeless people in Israel come from countries of the former USSR

The parliamentary commission on labor, social security and health discussed the situation with persons without permanent residence. The meeting took place on the initiative of Knesset member from the Meretz party Zahava Galyon.

Zaava Galon said that local authorities, in whose territory there are more than fifteen homeless people, are obliged to develop a system of assistance to them, but in reality this does not happen.

Representatives of the Ministry of Social Welfare voiced the following data at the meeting: according to preliminary estimates, Israelis from 800 to 900 do not have a permanent place of residence (the rehabilitation department at the Tel Aviv Mayor's Office claims that these data are greatly underestimated). Around 450 people get help from the city authorities, however, they continue to wander; 65% is alcohol or drug dependent; 23% have mental disorders; 35% suffer from chronic diseases.

The leaders in the number of homeless people are Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The third and fourth places in this “rating” were shared by Haifa and Ashdod.

According to the Ministry of Social Security, 55% of homeless people are from the countries of the former USSR.

There are sixteen homeless assistance centers in the country, eight of which have shelters.

The Ministry of Social Security reported that the local authorities managed to arrange the fate of some 1350 people who no longer live on the streets. More than a thousand former homeless were able to rent a house, thanks to financial assistance for renting an apartment from the Ministry of Construction.