The new Municipality of Lod faced many challenges that affected all areas of life, including housing, employment, language, education, construction, and more.

The first immigrants settled in intact houses west of the old city center, but when military rule was abolished, thousands of settlers entered the old quarter without considering the poor condition of most of the houses there. The stream of immigrants, who arrived in Lod either through the Absorption Department or on their own initiative, created a high demand for housing, and as a result, those who came to the city did not always check the conditions of their housing. The first half of the decade was characterized mainly by severe economic hardship due to lack of employment. In 1954, Mayor Pesach Lev noted: "Hundreds of workers leave every day for Tel Aviv, where they find sources of livelihood. Some of the workers from Lod even go as far as Eilat, returning once a week or once every two weeks to their families in Lod. Skilled workers from Lod also worked on the Be'er Sheva-Sodom road" (from the newspaper HaDor, April 23, 1954).

With so many heads of families working outside their city of residence, it was difficult to develop any attachment to the city, and it is no wonder that many families left and moved to other cities. For this reason, the city resembled a “transit camp” where immigrants stayed until they were able to afford an apartment in Holon, Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, and elsewhere.

From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Lod Municipality - Cherikover.

The immigrants who settled in Lod in the first decade were divided into three main neighborhoods. Only at the end of the decade did construction begin on a fourth neighborhood, which was different from the previous ones.

The Western Quarter consisted mainly of sturdy houses built during the British Mandate, but damaged in the War of Independence. New settlers had to clear away large piles of trash. Daily life was very difficult. Many houses were not connected to the water supply, and residents had to carry water in buckets from water towers built in the north and west of the city. Although the houses in this neighborhood were relatively new compared to those in the old quarter, they had no electricity, and residents lit their homes with lanterns and candles. The heavy darkness that fell over the neighborhood at night led to rumors that robbers were roaming the area, causing residents to stay in their homes after dark. Only with the installation of street lighting did Hebrew language courses begin to operate in the neighborhood, and WIZO women's clubs organized sewing courses for women. The main entertainment on Saturday evenings was a stroll along the main street (Herzl Street), on the roads and sidewalks.

The Railway Neighborhood - with the end of military rule, people moved into abandoned houses in the eastern part of the city until the City Council was set up. Some railway workers, who were responsible for getting the railway back up and running, lived in “British Villas.” The neighborhood's distance from the city center and its isolation did not attract the new immigrants who arrived in Lod in its early years. Many preferred to live in the old quarter, close to their Jewish neighbors, rather than in the Arab neighborhood. A field covered with reeds separated the western quarter from the railway neighborhood. Rumors spread that murderers were lurking behind the overgrown reeds, and residents avoided passing through there. Once the rumor was disproved, Jews began to settle in the neighborhood. The quickest to act took over the shops in the small commercial center, which had been established during the Mandate period, and opened grocery stores, a barber shop, a kiosk, and more.

The Old City - “The Danger” - This neighborhood epitomized the plight of life in Lod in the first decade. It is interesting to note that entry to the city was prohibited by the Military Governor and the Lod City Council, but between 1949 and 1950, 450 families with many children invaded it and turned it into the most populous neighborhood in the city. In dilapidated houses that were in constant danger of collapsing, residents from different ethnic backgrounds lived together, speaking a mixture of languages. Most of them were unemployed and had arrived there after they could not tolerate the transit camps anymore. Due to the lack of proper sewage, wastewater flowed into the narrow streets, which only added to the filth and unsanitary conditions in the already dirty streets.

Like other neighborhoods, this neighborhood was not connected to the water supply. To make life easier for the residents, in the early 1950s, the municipality installed large water taps at several intersections in the neighborhood's alleys. Dozens of women and children crowded around the taps for hours, carrying buckets, pots, and containers in which they brought water to their homes. The most industrious housewives brought their laundry and all their kitchenware to the taps, delaying those waiting in line for water. The dilapidated buildings served as shelter for dozens of prostitutes, pimps, and drug dealers. They hid in alcoves beyond the reach of the law. At night, the neighborhood was a hiding place for infiltrators who came to the city to spy and steal. This neighborhood struck fear into the hearts of all the city's residents, and with the help of the press, its reputation spread.

From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Municipality of Lod - Chrikover