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“Our mission is to ensure that every child grows up in proper living conditions – conditions that allow them to develop and thrive physically, emotionally, and socially.”

Gabi Nachmani, Founder and Director, Tenufa Bakehila

Tenufa Bakehila (Building Hope) was founded as a non-profit organization in 2014, in response to a growing national crisis: low-income families living in unsafe, deteriorating homes have nowhere to turn for help.
Many families endure years in homes with crumbling walls, faulty plumbing and electrical systems, leaking roofs, no hot water, broken kitchen cabinets, and non-functioning bathrooms—with no means to make repairs.
Our vision is to eliminate the most severe cases of housing poverty and neglect across Israel.
The organization was founded by Gabi Nachmani, a long-time social activist who began renovating apartments in Jerusalem as early as 1993, while working with an educational nonprofit. Until 2014, the work was done mostly by volunteers, renovating a few dozen homes each year.
Over time, it became clear that the urgent need for home repairs exists nationwide—and that no government, municipal, or other body was addressing this critical issue.
Today, Tenufa Bakehila operates in 20 cities across Israel, renovating over 700 homes annually for families in need.
Demand continues to grow, with many cities requesting our services and long waiting lists for new assistance centers. Each year, the organization aims to expand to 2–3 additional cities.
Even today, we remain the only organization in Israel providing large-scale, professional home repair services specifically focused on ending housing poverty and neglect.

Housing Poverty

In Israel today, tens of thousands of families and low-income individuals live in unsafe, substandard housing without even basic infrastructure.

Many live without running water or hot water, with outdated and hazardous electrical systems, mold-covered walls that pose serious health risks, broken toilets, collapsed ceilings, ruined kitchens, leaking roofs, no lighting, broken windows, and more.

Inadequate housing is especially common among impoverished and marginalized communities and affects every city across Israel. This is a painful, widespread problem that remains unaddressed, unfunded, and without a dedicated response from any governmental or other body.

The consequences of housing poverty are far-reaching—impacting the elderly, people with disabilities, and children—and by extension, Israeli society as a whole. Families living in such conditions often isolate themselves. Ashamed of the state of their home, they avoid inviting guests and experience deep social isolation.

Tenufa Bakehila is the only organization in Israel dedicated to eradicating housing poverty nationwide.

Bathroom of elderly person before renovation

Single mother of three – rotting kitchen with crumbling cabinets and rusty pipes

A Unique Operational Model

- Employment of full-time, salaried professional repair workers
  • Integration of a social worker to help families move forward
Tenufa Bakehila’s model is built on employing skilled, full-time repair professionals to ensure comprehensive, high-quality renovations that offer long-term solutions.
Our renovation teams are trained to approach families with empathy, respect, and open communication. From the recruitment stage, we prioritize not only professional skill but also a compassionate, human-centered approach.
Alongside the repair work, our in-house social worker helps families overcome immediate obstacles holding them back—such as financial mismanagement, unemployment, lack of basic appliances and furniture, or access to food and other essentials.
Strong Partnerships with Local Welfare Departments
Our operational model relies on close collaboration with municipal social service departments. Local social workers identify families in urgent need of home repairs and refer them to our organization.
Our repair teams work in coordinated units and handle each case in direct communication with the referring municipal social workers.
This partnership broadens the scope of assistance we can offer, brings housing poverty to the attention of local authorities, and enables us to actively combat substandard housing conditions in the 20 municipalities where we currently operate.

Tenufa's workmen carry out a variety of repairs in homes, including:

electrical work, drainage and plumbing, wall and ceiling repairs, general refurbishment, accessibility modifications, roof repairs, tiling, installation of doors and windows, kitchen replacements, installation of safety equipment for the elderly, etc.

For particularly complex jobs, we bring in external professionals

Electricians, roofers, tilers, carpenters, etc.

Structured Collaboration with Municipal Social Services Departments

The organization’s operational model is based on clear and structured cooperation with local municipalities. As part of this model, professionals from municipal social services departments, health funds, and local social workers identify families in urgent need of housing assistance and refer them to the organization for support.

Our renovation staff are divided into work teams assigned to different municipalities, handling each case in coordination with the municipal social workers, while adapting to the changing needs of the families.

This collaborative model with municipalities significantly expands the reach of our support, places the issue of housing-related poverty on the agenda of local service providers, and enables us to reduce social disparities across communities.

Family-Centered Social Support During and After Renovation

Alongside the home renovation—and continuing afterward—families are offered personalized social support from Tenufa Bakehila’s in-house social worker. For families who are open to receiving assistance, the social worker conducts home visits, meets with family members, assesses their needs, and provides practical tools and solutions to help them cope with day-to-day challenges.

This integrated approach—combining professional home repairs with tailored social support—is designed to fulfill the organization’s core mission: to help families set out on a new path, enable healing and growth, and, in many cases, break the cycle of poverty.

For families with children, the goal is to create a secure and supportive home environment that promotes healthy physical, emotional, and social development. Our social worker helps address challenges such as unemployment, school dropout, lack of access to public benefits, debt management, and shortages of furniture, appliances, and food.

For elderly clients, the focus is on ensuring they can live in safety, comfort, and dignity. Our social worker provides support in areas such as: accessing entitled benefits, reducing social isolation, supplying essential furniture and appliances, connecting to healthcare services, arranging in-home caregiving assistance, food provision, and even daily housekeeping and hot meals when needed.

Support Services Provided by Tenufa's Social Worker

Community-Based Support

Referrals for emotional therapy, couples counseling, parental guidance, support workers, mentorship programs, participation in day centers, and more.

Maximizing rights

Assistance in accessing benefits such as National Insurance allowances, the Nursing Care Law for seniors, rehabilitation programs for individuals coping with mental health challenges, debt repayment arrangements, legal representation, financial management guidance, and more.

Material and Financial Support

Provision of grocery vouchers, assistance in obtaining food packages, hot meals, furniture (mainly beds), household appliances, clothing, dental care, medical equipment for seniors, and more.

Employment Integration

Career counseling, guidance, and referrals to employment and vocational training centers, as well as other opportunities for meaningful work participation.