Jisr az-Zarqa: Petition Launched to Halt the “Price for the Resident” Housing Project

The grassroots movement “Housing Is Our Right” and the Jisr az-Zarqa Local Council announced their opposition to the “Price for the Resident” housing project planned for the village by launching a public petition and a broad signature campaign.

The petition is the first grassroots step in the campaign led by the Local Council and the movement to stop the current project and seek a fair solution to Jisr az-Zarqa’s housing crisis. According to the petition, the government approved the “West of Jisr” housing project in 2018 as part of the “Price for the Resident” program to address the shortage of housing and building land for the village’s residents.

The plan includes the construction of 530 housing units. Over the past two years, the Ministry of Housing marketed approximately 197 units in two phases. Although most were intended for Jisr az-Zarqa residents, ministry records showed that only about 30 local residents registered for the housing lottery—roughly 10% of applicants—compared with more than 1,300 applicants from outside the village.

Local Council Head Sheikh Murad Ammash stated that the project had failed to achieve its main objective, arguing that the village’s limited reserve land should provide housing for nearly 1,000 local families rather than luxury housing for people from outside the village. He added that the council had contacted government ministries, enlisted civil society and human rights organizations, and demanded the immediate suspension of the project and its marketing process.

Grassroots movement coordinator Sami Al-Ali said that their campaign seeks to correct the ongoing injustice faced by the village and to promote alternative housing projects that ensure affordable homes for Jisr az-Zarqa residents. He called on residents and supporters to sign the petition in support of this goal.

Petition:
https://www.atzuma.co.il/zarkasakana