The AHC Index of Affordable Housing aims to map and analyze projects in Israel promoted through different channels, under the title of 'affordable housing'. The Index is based on four criteria reflecting defining principles of affordable housing that are widely accepted in literature. Analysis of data published by relevant institutions (government and local authorities), enables an evaluation of the various projects' real ability to provide proper affordable housing. The Index is divided into three groups, based on the projects' promotion channels.
The definition formulated by the Israel Affordable Housing Center (IAHC)
Affordable Housing is housing which meets the housing needs of low to medium income populations, who cannot afford to either purchase or rent an apartment at market prices without deducting from other essential expenditures such as food, health and education. This is done through various tools enabling housing prices that are lower than the market price, without detracting from the housing units' physical condition and convenient access to services such as health, education, recreation, culture and sports, as well as employment options.
For more info about the different definitions of Affordable Housing (Hebrew)
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Relevance to middle and low income households – Are the housing units offered at affordable prices in relation to the economic ability of middle and low income households in Israel?
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Degree of discount relative to market prices – What is the difference between the rates offered as affordable housing prices and the market prices in the surrounding area?
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Eligibility criteria – Are there any clearly defined criteria ensuring that the target population, will ultimately enjoy this benefit?
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The ability to create a long term supply of affordable housing– Is this a one-time benefit, or a sustainable supply of affordable housing solutions? What is the project's designated time span?
The various Affordable Housing initiatives were tested on the basis of these criteria. The Index includes projects at different stages: during planning, during construction and after population. Available data on all four criteria, based on official documents published by the local authorities and/or the government, were a must for the project to be included. After calculating scores for each criterion, the project was given a final grade of pass/fail.
All projects with a passing score in the criterion of relevance for socioeconomic deciles 3-7 were given a final grade of pass, and defined as Affordable Housing in the IAHC Index.