Housing Lottery Website Shut Down Over Draft Status Verification Rules
The Ministry of Housing's "Discount Apartment" website is shut down for system updates to block draft evaders from receiving housing benefits, freezing thousands of applications and renewals.
The "Discount Apartment" website operated by the Ministry of Construction and Housing has been shut down for several days due to system updates. While visitors encounter a system message citing maintenance work, the real reason involves aligning systems with Ministry of Justice requirements to prevent draft evaders who have not regularized their status with the IDF from receiving state housing benefits.
Impact on Housing Certification
Currently, it is impossible to issue new eligibility certificates or renew existing ones that are about to expire. Applications submitted after September 17 at 18:30 will only be processed once the updates are completed. The Ministry of Housing announced it would issue further updates after Yom Kippur, but did not commit to a precise reopening date.
In a typical lottery, competition is fierce. The most recent draw saw approximately 115,000 homeless households competing for fewer than 8,000 apartments across 19 localities. Tens of thousands of couples register repeatedly, waiting for the next draw or remaining on waiting lists.
"My husband did over 100 days of reserve duty, we paid fees, waited two years on a waiting list in Ashdod, and reached a realistic spot," says Michal, 28, from Tel Aviv. "Now our certificate is frozen, the site is closed, and we have no one to talk to. We pay 8,500 shekels in rent a month, our money is burning, and we are hostages of the system because of the draft law."
Legal Background and Future Outlook
The shutdown stems from an April Supreme Court ruling and Ministry of Justice guidelines stipulating that draft evaders who have not regulated their status with the IDF cannot receive state housing subsidies. The Ministry of Housing must integrate IDF data to filter applicants properly. This marks the second time this year that draft-related issues have paralyzed the housing lottery system.
The Ministry of Construction and Housing stated: "The ministry is working to complete the required system adjustments as quickly as possible. At this stage, it is not possible to issue new eligibility certificates or renew existing ones, except for processing beneficiaries who have already won a lottery and need eligibility to finalize their apartment selection and sign a contract."
