Israel Suspends Housing Lottery Portal Following Supreme Court Conscription Ruling
The "Dirah BeHofa" housing lottery website has been temporarily shut down to implement a Supreme Court ruling excluding draft-evading ultra-Orthodox individuals from lotteries.
"Dirah BeHofa" Website Temporarily Suspended Following Supreme Court Ruling
The "Dirah BeHofa" (Discounted Apartment) housing lottery website has been temporarily shut down for maintenance and system upgrades. In practice, the move implements a landmark Supreme Court ruling barring ultra-Orthodox individuals who have not served in the IDF from participating in housing lotteries or remaining on waiting lists.
In April, Supreme Court justices strongly criticized the government for continuing to grant housing benefits to military-eligible individuals who evade service. The court ordered the state to halt the participation of draft-eligible non-recruits in state-subsidized housing lotteries until their military status is formally resolved with the IDF.
Legal Clarifications and System Updates
Questions have arisen regarding past winners and individuals currently on waiting lists. According to the Attorney General's legal counsel, past winners who are draft-eligible will not forfeit their wins, even if they have not regularized their status with the IDF. However, individuals on waiting lists for previous lotteries—such as those awaiting canceled wins—will be filtered out, as the ruling applies strictly to those who have not yet secured an apartment.
"Following the Supreme Court ruling and Justice Ministry guidelines, the Ministry of Construction and Housing is making necessary adjustments to information systems," the ministry announced on the website's homepage.
Ministry Response and Next Steps
The Ministry of Construction and Housing announced that issuing new eligibility certificates and renewing existing ones has been temporarily suspended. Applications submitted after Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 18:30 will be processed only after system updates are complete.
The ministry has yet to confirm when the website will reopen, stating that a formal update regarding the resumption of services will be released following Yom Kippur.
