VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Relocating occupants of rundown houses deemed to be unsafe is one of the major social problems in Kuzbass.
Out of the total 58.9 million square metres of housing available in the region, 5.4% is decrepit housing, which is almost double the average number for Russia.
The regional authorities have been grappling with the problem of relocating the occupants of decrepit houses for more than ten years. Between 1998 and 2008, 20,300 families were relocated from unsafe housing and 3,000 barracks were taken down.
Russia began restructuring its coal industry at the end of the 20th century. The focus was initially on optimizing the structure of the coal mines, shutting down pits that were losing money and privatising profitable mines and quarries. It was not until 1998 that the programme of restructuring the industry came to include assistance to people in acquiring new housing, the demolition of decrepit residential areas, and the reconstruction and replacement of social infrastructural facilities that were affected by the shutting down of parts of the coal industry.
Under the Energy Ministry's Programme, 14,700 families were supposed to be relocated and the federal budget proposed to spend 7.2 billion roubles for this purpose in accordance with the plan approved in 1998.
In reality, only 2 billion roubles were disbursed from 1998 until 2007. That was enough money to demolish 1,332 houses unfit for occupancy and to improve the housing conditions for 6,100 families (at the rate of 610 families a year).
In November 2007, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy and Kemerovo Region officials signed an agreement and worked out a set of measures to complete the restructuring of the coal industry in the Kemerovo Region. Under this agreement, the federal budget will allot 8.4 billion roubles over three years to Kuzbass.
This will improve housing conditions for 8,600 families (2,867 families a year on average).
In 2008, the Energy Ministry's programme in Kuzbass was financed with 3.6 billion roubles, of which 3.2 billion roubles were used to help citizens acquire new housing and to relocate about 3,000 families.
In 2007, the Kemerovo Region received federal assistance for capital repair of blocks of flats and relocating citizens from unsafe houses in the amount of 608 billion roubles, of which 461 billion roubles were earmarked for relocating citizens from unsafe housing.
The regional and local authorities contributed additional 81.5 million roubles and 280.6 million roubles, accordingly.
Under the programme, 858 families were relocated and 33,510 square metres of decrepit housing was demolished.
In addition, under the programme of the Housing and Utilities Reform Fund, an application for relocating citizens from rundown housing was submitted and approved in 2008. The fund allocated 578.6 million roubles for this purpose, with the regional and local budgets contributing a further 377 million roubles. The bulk of the money (80%) was used to build and buy flats in new residential blocks under construction. This will make it possible to relocate 973 families and pull down another 175 decrepit houses.
To stimulate the housing construction market, the Housing and Utilities Reform Fund disbursed an additional 163 million roubles in late 2008 to finance the relocation of occupants of barracks in the region. The regional budget will add 106 million roubles of its own money to finance the programme. All in all, this will make it possible to relocate occupants from 31 blocks of flats and to improve the housing conditions of 195 families.
The Kermerovo Region has filed a request with the fund for the disbursement of the remaining 1.2 billion roubles earmarked for the programme of relocating occupants of blocks of flats that were officially recognized to be unsafe for living before January 1, 2007 and those unsafe buildings were scheduled to be pulled down in 2009. The regional and local budgets will contribute 135 million roubles to that programme. The bulk of that sum (92%) will be used to build new houses in the Kemerovo Region.
That would give a boost to the construction industry in Kuzbass, pay for the relocation of 1,410 families to comfortable housing and provide for the demolition of 227 barracks.
In total, during the nine years between 1998 and 2006, 5 billion roubles were invested in Kuzbass under various programmes of relocating occupants from decrepit and unsafe housing, which improved the housing conditions for 15,000 families (1,600 families a year). Beginning from 2007, annual funding increased dramatically: 5.9 billion roubles were allocated in just two years (2007-2008) which enabled 5,300 families to move to modern housing (2,600 families a year).
In 2009, more than 6 billion roubles will be spent to finance the programmes relocating occupants from decrepit and unsafe housing. This will enable 5,800 families to move out of barracks.
Kemerovo Statistical Office data as of January 1, 2009
KEMEROVO REGION
Total available housing: 58.9 million square metres
Decrepit and unsafe residential housing: 3.2 million square metres (5.4% of the total housing)
Including:
Emergency housing: 829,000 square metres (25% of the total housing deemed to be decrepit and unsafe).
Decrepit housing: 2.4 million square metres (75% of the total deemed to be unsafe).
Between 1998 and 2008, 11 billion roubles were disbursed to relocate 2,300 families and raze 3,000 barracks.
THE CITY OF NOVOKUZNETSK
Total available housing: 11.8 million square metres
(20% of the total housing in Kemerovo Region)
The area of decrepit and unsafe residential stock:
377,000 square metres (3.2% of the city's total housing and 11.8% of the total decrepit and unsafe residential stock in the Kemerovo Region).
Including:
Emergency residential housing: 171,000 square metres
(45% of the total decrepit and unsafe housing)
Decrepit housing: 206,000 square metres
(55% of the total decrepit and unsafe housing)
From 2002 until 2008, 1.2 billion roubles were disbursed for 1,000 families to be relocated and 283 barracks to be demolished.
