Housing needs, choice and responsibility as three concepts to understand the role of housing markets and government intervention in Israel

Abstract

In this paper, the concepts of need, choice, and responsibility in the context of the Israeli housing market are explored and analysed. These concepts are significant for the understanding of the interaction between households and government intervention on both private and public housing markets. The following question is formulated: Should the government identify the housing needs and intervene in the free market? And if so, to what degree?

In previous years, by adopting the privatization policy, the Israeli government has limited its involvement in the free housing market as well as in public housing. As a result, housing prices have increased significantly since the 2008 subprime crisis. These changes have forced the government to redefine the housing needs and government intervention while maintaining the freedoms and households’ abilities to make their own choices. The author of the article concludes that the government should limit its intervention and allow individuals to define their own needs, to ensure a genuine freedom of choice, and to express the responsibility that comes with it.