The promises to the neighborhood committees in Haifa: what happened 8 months after the election of the new municipality?

(live here in the neighborhoods) - During the month of March 2024, the new management of the Haifa municipality presented an initiative to upgrade and improve the municipal management, which was designed to change the face of the neighborhoods in the city. The initiative, as part of the neighborhood portfolio held by Acting Mayor Avihu Han, aims to reorganize the relationship between the residents and the municipality through the democratic election of neighborhood committees, who will represent the residents before the municipality and work to promote their affairs.
Avihu Han says: Soon we will move forward with the implementation of the election of neighborhood committees that will democratically elect the city of Haifa. We at the Haifa city administration see great importance in the involvement and participation of the residents of the neighborhoods.

In an interview we conducted with Han, at the beginning of the term, he announced that the city would be divided into 37 neighborhoods, each with an elected chairman and representatives who would be elected by the residents in a democratic manner. The idea was, and still is, to integrate the representatives of the residents in the neighborhood in the decision-making processes concerning the neighborhood in which they live and establish a system that will improve the relationship between the neighborhoods and the municipality. In addition, it was presented that a Haifa neighborhood council will be established that will run in the districts and help It was also stated that a dedicated budget will be allocated to each neighborhood to be managed by neighborhood representatives.

Still no change in practice

Despite impressive statements, eight months later, the residents still see no change in practice. Many of them wonder why the new system they were expecting has not been launched, and especially why all the processes that are "under preparation" have not yet been implemented.

It seems that even though it is a program aimed at strengthening the relationship with the public and empowering the neighborhoods, there is still no sufficient explanation to the residents about the reasons for the delay. The municipality has so far not presented any significant progress on the ground, and the feelings among the residents are mixed between disappointment and a lack of understanding as to why things are not progressing.

Judging by the statements of the representatives of the municipality at the beginning, the process of electing the chairmen and representatives, and the establishment of the neighborhood council should have been carried out soon. In light of the fact that the area has been "under preparation" almost since the beginning of the year, many residents find it difficult to understand why the first steps that would allow progress were not taken within.

As of today, the municipality has not presented a clear date for starting the move. Meanwhile, the main voice heard from the area is a feeling of despair, when on the one hand there are plans that promised a higher involvement of the residents, and on the other hand - nothing real happened for a long period of time.

One visit/tour only

In the inspection we conducted with representatives and activists in several neighborhoods in the city, we discovered that there was only one visit/tour, and since then there has been no progress, or that in fact no visit took place at all.

For example, in the Bat Galim neighborhood, a patrol was conducted in the month of April, Han arrived in the area, and additional representatives, but since then he has not been seen in the neighborhood and no party has contacted the neighborhood representatives. That's what he told us Chairman of the neighborhood committee, Yuval Busin.

Yuliana Eliezer Yishai, a representative of the Carmel neighborhood committee, told Lahi Pa:

"There was no contact between us and Avihu Han, and as far as applications to the municipality are concerned, we work with other representatives. Our committee was established at the beginning of 2022, with the assistance of 'Movement Israel' and within the framework of a residents' conference, which included signatures of residents who supported its establishment."

Padua Srouji, an activist in the Ein Hayam neighborhood committee, told Lahi Fe:

"There was no meeting or tour with Avihu Han in our neighborhood. Everyone knows that the issue of neighborhoods is complex, both legally and financially. If you want to go back to the days when the municipality budgeted for committees, as was the case during the time of the Neighborhoods and Quarters Department under the management of Aryeh Yaniv - a person that no one was able to enter For his shoes - significant changes must be made.

Padua Srouji: His father, in his position as the supervisor of the neighborhood portfolio, is cut off from most neighborhoods, especially Arab and mixed neighborhoods, like my neighborhood. In my opinion, as a community activist and an experienced committee member, we do not need elected officials to interfere in our activities, as they often have political motives. Most of us act out of community commitment and belonging to our neighborhood. The municipality has many professional employees in various departments, who provide excellent service to the residents. True, sometimes the requests are delayed until the execution stage due to budget and prioritization, but working with professional parties yields better results.

It is important to have a contact person in the municipality for coordination between the committees and activists and the municipality and between the various departments. As of today, there is no such coordinating body, and I believe that this is a role that should be held by a professional municipal employee and not an elected official. In Ein Hayam - Wadi al-Jamal there are three main issues that require attention: the name of the neighborhood, strengthening of buildings and making plans for protection during war more accessible, and preserving the unique character of the neighborhood as part of urban renewal processes."

Eran Shulman from the Carmelia neighborhood committee told Lahi Pa:

"There was no tour with Avihu Han in the Carmelia neighborhood. Among the issues that are important for us to advance is the paving of the streets. The extension of line 33 to the XNUMX-hour classrooms. We have a lack of community centers and green areas for the benefit of the residents and, of course, a dog park."

Mimi Peretz from the Neve Shanan neighborhood committee She told Hai here:

"There has been no tour or meeting with his father Han since he received the neighborhood file."

Elisheva Azulai Cohen, an activist in the Neve David neighborhood committee, told Hai Pa:

"A tour was held with Avihu Han, we brought up the urgent issues to be addressed, and even prepared an orderly list. Unfortunately, so far it is not possible to mark a V on any issue addressed.

It is important for us to establish an organized committee that will have a direct relationship with the municipality, and will serve as a voice and trumpet for the residents of the neighborhood. Our priorities include promoting the evacuation-construction plan in the neighborhood, creating conditions that will attract the young people to stay here, since the neighborhood is aging and there is nothing that tempts the young people to stay. In addition, there are almost no solutions for our youth either - even youth guides are missing."

Vared Hanin, chairman of the Kiryat Eliezer neighborhood committee, shared with "Hai Pa":

"Abihu Han came at the beginning with his election, did a tour of the neighborhood. We are an elected committee, and I want there to be order in the neighborhood from a cultural point of view, with higher level schools, care for cleanliness, and significant enforcement. Unfortunately, there is no one to talk to in the municipality about this issue. Level schools There is no favor, and I, for example, had to register my child outside the neighborhood. Since his father was here, nothing has progressed, and the promises have been empty."

In the meantime, Adim organizes itself and continues to operate as it was before the decision to establish a neighborhood portfolio.

We built and formulated an operating model for the field, including consolidated regulations and defining the boundaries of neighborhoods in the city

His father Han said to Hai Pa:

"In recent months, I have met with many neighborhood activists, I have heard about the problems and the needs, I have met with academic officials and with council members and deputy mayors in various cities on the subject of neighborhoods and learning to promote and democratically elect neighborhood committees. During this period, we built and formulated an operating model for the field, including consolidated regulations and the definition of neighborhood boundaries in the city

The issue will soon be presented in the city council in order to move forward on the issue of implementing the election of neighborhood committees that will choose democratically in the city of Haifa. We at the Haifa city administration see great importance in the involvement and participation of the residents of the neighborhoods through their representatives in the social and community activities to promote the neighborhood and improve the lives of the residents in the city."