Dozens of businesses are on the verge of collapse and dozens have already closed. Between the desperation of the business owners on the street and the desperation of the street dwellers who find it difficult to lead a normal and fear-free lifestyle in the evening hours, there is also hope that the situation will improve. From a tour we recently conducted on Halutz Street in Haifa, a significant change is evident. The street is cleaner and more well-kept, but lifeless. Many businesses have closed and those that have survived are having a hard time continuing to exist and are fighting tooth and nail to keep the business. The residents who live there find it difficult to lead a normal life starting from the early evening hours due to constant criminality and crime on the street.
One of the women in her 40s and a teacher by profession tells Lahi Fa: "When it gets dark I have to walk around accompanied by a partner or a friend as above when it comes to my teenage house. If there is no one to accompany us, we are forced to shut ourselves in the house. Many women were assaulted and robbed in the early evening, and the situation is quite scary because we don't feel safe walking around freely."
Another resident who has been living on the street for several years, hurries to tell and explain that the situation is the result of silence created as a result of the municipality's works. Since the municipality of Haifa began carrying out the works in Hadar, many businesses were damaged and closed, people stopped walking around the street and the place became a center of crime. There is no traffic and no people and the criminals are celebrating. Too quickly, drug dealers began to appear and deals were even closed in broad daylight. In the evening, the view on the street is drug addicts and expats.
One of the business owners on the street adds that he finds it difficult to continue running the business he built with his ten fingers. Recently, he had to invest everything he had left to keep the business going in the hope that the street would return to life and in the hope that the municipality would consider the existing situation and come towards the business owners. According to him: "It is not possible that we will continue to pay property taxes equal to the businesses in the Carmel area and areas where businesses are flourishing. The Haifa Municipality should encourage us and ensure that no more businesses on the street close, at least until the street returns to being the "pioneer" it used to be."
The business owners mentioned to us that they are happy that Halutz Street has been renovated and it is
It looks much nicer and well maintained but they demanded the establishment of a parking lot to encourage people to come to the area and they also demanded a reduction in property taxes so they could continue to run their businesses. They also demand from the municipality that Halutz Street be included in the events and festivals that the municipality holds such as Tzubatz or even copy the "holiday of holidays" to their area.
The Haifa Municipality responded: "The Haifa Municipality is very intensively engaged in the physical and social rehabilitation of the Hadar Carmel neighborhood. Tens of millions of shekels have been invested in creating an infrastructure tunnel under Halutz Street into which all the infrastructure will drain and in improving the appearance of the redesigned street. Urban processes are slow processes, but now for the first time an opportunity has arisen to revive the street that many businesses have abandoned The same. Haifa Municipality follows a continuous increase of real estate properties on the street indicating that residents are voting with their feet.
As for personal security, this issue is in the domain of the police, at the same time the municipality of Haifa is increasing the patrols of the security patrol on the street. Regarding parking spaces, a large parking lot and parking spaces will be built on Sirkin Street that will help Halutz Street."
The Haifa police responded: : "In light of your request, a situation assessment will be made in order to examine whether there is room for increasing the presence and prominence of the police in the area. Halutz Street routinely receives police attention. Any complaint and report of an offense will be dealt with immediately in order to increase the sense of security."