The regulation of land use in Israel is anchored in a centralised top-down planning system that underwent major reforms since 2011. The need for reform was driven by slow and rigid planning procedures that, in combination with macroeconomic circumstances and continuous population growth, could not accommodate the high demand for housing, thus contributing to a significant housing shortage. As a result, house and rental prices were increasing steadily: 80% and almost 40%, respectively, between 2008 and 2016. In contrast, real average wages increased only by 4% over the same period. In 2011, thousands of people protested against the rapid increases in cost of living, which steered the national government’s focus towards addressing the undersupply of housing. At present, the housing challenge is addressed in two parallel approaches: first, ongoing reform processes aim to eliminate structural deficiencies in the planning system; and second, the introduction of short- to medium-term programmes that allow a quick increase in housing supply complemented by the development of a long term housing strategy.