Vandalism, shouting and drugs • The ongoing suffering of the residents of Leon Bloom Street in Haifa

(haipo) For many years, the lives of elderly residents of a building on Leon Bloom Street in Haifa have become, they say, a daily nightmare. They describe repeated vandalism, incessant noise, smoking and drinking alcohol on the main floor, drug use, fights and shouting into the night, and all of this, they claim, without an effective response from the police and the municipality.

The residents of the 24/4 building on Leon Bloom Street say that they had long ago lost hope that the situation would change, and only after years of repeated requests to the police and the Haifa Municipality did they decide to turn to Haifa in the hope that someone would listen to their plight.

“We live in fear and helplessness,” says one of the residents. “We are mainly elderly and older people who want some peace and security in their home, but instead we get shouting, dirt, vandalism and fear of leaving the apartment at night.”

According to the residents, groups of teenagers and students from a nearby school come to the building, mainly to the main floor and the stairwell. “They break things and smoke drugs. There have already been cases of fights and shouting. You can’t live like this.”

They claim that various attempts to prevent entry to the building were unsuccessful. “We installed a gate with a chip so that only residents could enter,” the resident adds, “but that didn’t help. They climb over the gate or enter when someone opens the door.”

The residents claim that for years they have been warning the municipality and the police about what is happening, but without any real change on the ground. “The municipality has known about the situation here since 2019,” they say. “We have had countless conversations and inquiries. In January 2026, a meeting was even held where they promised to address the issue, but nothing has happened since. Everything has remained the same.”

The hardest feeling, they say, is the feeling of abandonment. “We feel like we’ve been forgotten,” says another resident. “People here are afraid. Some elderly people are afraid to tell someone who is vandalizing or making noise because they’re afraid of the reaction.” Now they’re demanding immediate and ongoing care from the authorities. “We’re not asking for luxuries,” the residents conclude. “Just to live in peace and security in our own home.”

The Haifa Municipality responded: "The Haifa Municipality and the school administration view seriously any harm to the sense of security and quality of life of the residents of Leon Blum Street, and in particular the older residents, as a result of the behavior of students. Any inquiries on the subject are handled by the school staff, who maintain continuous contact with the residents. In addition, conversations are held with the students, and in cases where necessary, educational teams have been sent to handle incidents as they arise."

The Israel Police reported: Attempting to present the police as not helping the residents is unrealistic and does not reflect the actions taken over the years. This is a railway building opposite a school, with a legal grocery store operating inside the building and, by law, visited by teenagers, some of whom even live in the building itself. Contrary to what is claimed, none of the reports submitted to the police indicated any indication of drug use or trafficking on the premises.

The issue is known and has been handled for a long time by the neighborhood NCO, who works with the residents and in collaboration with other parties in an attempt to assist and reduce the alleged disturbances. In each report received, mobile units handled and performed inspections according to the circumstances.