New flats for young families: how housing problems are solved in the republic
The republic is fifth among Russian regions in housing development. In 2020 alone, 2,68 million square metres of housing was built in Tatarstan. The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities and Architecture of the Republic of Tatarstan provided such data at its recent meeting. 153 blocks of flats were erected in the region for a social mortgage. Last year, the authorities expanded the list of categories of citizens who have the right to participate in this programme — young families got such an opportunity too. Meanwhile, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov claimed that the absence of one’s own flat among the youth is one of the hot-button issues. A social mortgage that will help people under 35 years to get a long-awaited flat or improve their living conditions is designed to solve the problem.
To build as more as possible
The Krylovs family became one of those who got a flat with such a social mortgage. Sergey Krylov works at Kazanorgsintez PJSC as a repairman. Together with his wife, his mother and two kids, they had been living in a two-bedroom flat for many years. Now 5-year-old Miron and 2-year-old Viktoria will have their own rooms they have been dreaming about.
Last October, the family submitted an application to improve their living conditions, while in December, they already began to plan a repair in a three-bedroom flat in Rainbow residential district. The location is convenient for the Krylovs — one can get to Kazanorgsintez quickly and at weekends enjoy their common hobby — go winter fishing.
“The programme has simple conditions, and the paperwork isn’t complicated. After submitting the application, we became participants in a flat lottery, we chose the flat beforehand and a day later we learnt it was ours. We had paid the first instalment in advance. We are very happy — we chose both the flat, the block and the floor ourselves. The son was so happy with his corner, he is still packing his things. At the moment, we are renovating the flat, but it is already suitable to live there,” Tatiana Krylova shares.
House for young families
According to the Tatarstan president, the absence of one’s own flat is one of the hot-button issues of the youth. Rustam Minnikhanov offered a solution to this problem as early as in summer 2020. It became known that the social mortgage was repurposed for young families.
Last summer, Tatarstan Prime Minister Alexey Pesoshin signed a decree — it gave all young families of the republic a chance of improving their living conditions. Moreover, it doesn’t matter if any of the spouses work in the public sphere: self-employed people, entrepreneurs and workers of commercial companies can get flats.
“We are talking about the families that got married where one of the spouses is no older than 35 years. This includes one-parent families that have a child too,” the Tatarstan president said.
But if an applicant celebrated his or her 36th birthday after signing up for the programme, he or she is still entitled to get a flat. Another age bracket is 18 years, it is the lowest threshold for participants in the programme. Another important condition is that a family should need to improve its living conditions.
If a one who has residence registration in a flat that has less than 18 square metres of space per person, the claims for a new flat are considered founded. The applicants must have residence registration in Tatarstan and the possibility of paying the first instalment. The average annual income of every working family member can’t be below the minimum wage. If a baby is born during the validity of the agreement on social mortgage, the state writes off 200,000 rubles of the flat’s value. One must pay for a flat for 28,5 years. The social mortgage’s rate supervised by the Tatarstan State Housing Fund is 7% a year. The head of the State Housing Fund under the president of the republic thinks that one won’t have to wait for one’s turn for long.
“This means that today you go to the Executive Committee, while tomorrow we will sign an agreement with you,” Marat Zaripov said.
How to participate in the programme
Those who dream of having a housewarming party should go to the Executive Committee’s office at their area of residence, prepare documents and fill in the application. After that, specialists who will evaluate a family’s current living conditions will work. If they comply with all criteria of the programme, the applicants are added to the register of the State Housing Fund.
After signing an agreement, the applicants for a new flat will have to pay 10% of its value. Then they become participants in a draw of flats. The State Housing Fund gives its winners a monthly payment schedule — every family’s sum is different. It is calculated considering the social mortgage borrowers’ salary, the first instalment, the size and location of the flat.
The government hopes that the support measures for young families will improve the demographic situation in Tatarstan. It is planned that more than 6,000 families will be able to buy a separate flat on preferential terms. 12,224 young families have already moved to new flats thanks to housing programmes.
New flat in new year
Only Moscow Oblast, Moscow, Krasnodar Krai and Saint Petersburg compete with Tatarstan in housing development. Despite difficulties because of the pandemic, the amount of construction works was evaluated to be not below the level of 2019 at the recent meeting of the Ministry of Construction.
This is why the ministry has big tasks this year. According to plans, it is necessary to build 2,67 million square metres in 2021. A part of the housing will be built for the social mortgage programme — it is 161 blocks of flats with 5,159 flats — much more than last year.
Now six social blocks of flats saw their residents. 68 are almost ready, 41 facilities are still built. By 2030, Tatarstan will have to build 3,5 million square metres of housing every year.
“The task is tough, uneasy. We can build more but citizens should have corresponding purchasing power. The economy, citizens’ incomes should be corresponding. It is an integrated and quite a tough task. It is important to find a balance between demand and supply in the housing and services market,” Rustam Minnikhanov noted.
To simplify this process, new conditions have been introduced for participants in the social mortgage programme in 2021. Now they can buy more spacious flats and pay less for additional square metres. The size of the permissible excess area has increased from 20% to 30%. This is happening because the State Housing Fund began building bigger flats.
According to previous norms, one was due to have 33 square metres of space per person, moreover, the biggest allowed area of a one-bedroom flat was 39,6 square metres. While now one can buy a 42,9-square-metre one-bedroom flat. The owner of the flat will have to pay not 63,700 rubles per square metre for the bigger-than-normal area but 50,900.
The project is implemented for two years. The Tatarstan State Housing Fund plans to deliver the first houses later this year.