(haipo) – The "Up 60" Senior Citizen Entrepreneurship Center is on the verge of closing, after the municipality declared that its continued operation is conditional on government funding. A question was raised on the subject in a City Council discussion, and voices of hope were heard alongside deep concerns from senior citizens who are struggling to maintain a center that is a social anchor for them.
The 60 Plus Entrepreneurship Center – Far Beyond a Physical Structure
The Up 60 Center in Haifa is much more than a gathering place: it is a social, cultural and occupational space for senior citizens. The center offers workshops, guidance for entrepreneurs in their third age, community projects and more. In an era where life expectancy is increasing, and the need for places relevant to the third age is only increasing – centers like Up 60 are becoming an essential component of the quality of life of the city's seniors. The question of whether the municipality sees this as a strategic value or a budgetary burden is what is currently preoccupying the public.
State funding as a condition for continuation: What is behind the municipality's decision?
In its official response to a question from Council member Motti Blitzblau of the Green Party, the Haifa Municipality clarified that the center will not continue to operate unless a government budget is received. In doing so, it transferred responsibility to the national level – a move that could be interpreted as a renunciation of a municipal obligation.
The annual amount required to continue its activities – approximately 300 NIS – is not high relative to the overall municipal budget, and the demand for government funding specifically in a social-local context raises questions about the priorities of the municipal leadership.
Civic and political initiative: Collaboration with the Shiloh Association
Alongside the concern, a ray of light also emerged: City Council member Pini Wegman from the pensioners' faction proposed a solution in the form of cooperation with the Shiloh Association. According to him, Mayor Yona Yahav supports the move, and there is an intention to ensure the center's continued operation through an external partnership. This model of cooperation between the municipality and associations is common, but it requires careful management, transparency, and mutual commitment to ensure that the service is not harmed.
Public Engagement: Applause and Continuing Concern
About 30 senior citizens came to the city council meeting and expressed enthusiastic support for the center. For them, Up 60 is not just a place for leisure activities – but a space of belonging, self-worth and an opportunity to continue being productive even after retirement. Wegman’s encouraging answer was met with applause, but the feeling of concern did not disappear: the fear that the proposed solution would not be implemented in practice still hovers in the air.
Between hope and reality: the need for clear urban policy
The events surrounding the Up 60 Center illustrate the importance of a consistent municipal policy toward the elderly population. When a city like Haifa does not guarantee direct funding for such an important center, the message conveyed to the public is one of uncertainty. Even if the current solution is implemented, a broader and deeper concept of services for the aging population is required – as an integral part of an overall urban vision and not as an exception that needs periodic rescue.
Please don't be confused.
Kalisz was a disaster. Even if Yahav does nothing, we won't be able to repair the damage it caused.
I thought that Yahav, because of his age, would understand this.
This is a big disappointment.
Ask for additional support from Hamas and Hezbollah.
You still represent them in demonstrations against the state.
Did you want Yahav? She didn't do anything, right? The city's residents deserve a mayor who abuses them, just like they wanted. Does she have a problem with communication? We got someone without such a problem, an excellent communicator with the real estate companies that are destroying the city. It's just incomprehensible that they elected this man again.