Russian housing reform policies
By 1999, share of communal service costs paid by residents had increased substantially:
|
Mix of Housing and Communal Payments, |
||||
|
Sources of payments |
1990 |
1995 |
1997 |
1999 |
|
FebSubsidies from the federal budget |
68 |
50 |
22 |
18 |
|
Cross-subsidies |
30 |
40 |
40 |
22 |
|
Residents' payments |
2 |
10 |
38 |
60 |
In order to realize the President's Decree No. 425, "On Reform of Housing and Communal Sector in the Russian Federation" (issued April 28, 1997 with changes of July 1997), the Russian government annually issues decrees "On Federal Standards of Transition to the New System of Housing and Communal Payments" (the latest one is No. 965 of December 15, 2000, and covers the period of 2000-2001).
Transfers from the federal budget to regions are estimated on the basis of:
a) Indirect subsidies to residents: 30% in 2000 and 20% in 2001. This standard is used when federal financial support to regions is being assessed.
b) Share of housing and communal payments in family's income, not to exceed 20% in 2000 and 22% in 2001. Amounts beyond these limits will be covered by direct subsidies.
c) Cost of housing and communal services in Russia on average should not exceed 12.8 Rbl per sq. meter in 2000 and 14.2 Rbl per sq. meter in 2001. This cost differs by regions according to the Appendix to this Decree.
|
Examples of Residents' Payments as of December |
||||||
|
Region |
Federal standard, Rbl/sq.m |
Residents' billed payments, Rbl/sq.m |
Share of HC costs covered by billed |
Share of families who receive direct |
Average per capita monthly income, in |
Share of HC costs covered by transfers |
|
Russia |
13.36 |
8.32 |
62.3 |
6.9 |
2224 |
32.5 |
|
Komi Republic |
23.9 |
16.7 |
70 |
8.1 |
2795 |
22.1 |
|
Pskov region |
13.7 |
9.58 |
70 |
5.0 |
1280 |
24.4 |
|
St. Petersburg city |
10.3 |
6.31 |
61.1 |
24.2 |
2476 |
56.4 |
|
Moscow city |
11.6 |
6.04 |
52.3 |
11.2 |
8638 |
96.9 |
|
Tver region |
9.9 |
6.95 |
70 |
10.3 |
1312 |
26.0 |
|
Yaroslavl region |
12.6 |
8.82 |
70 |
4.6 |
1722 |
29.6 |
|
Kirovsk region |
13.8 |
9.66 |
70.1 |
3.1 |
1178 |
15.6 |
|
Kalmykia Republic |
9.7 |
6.95 |
71.7 |
5.0 |
993 |
16.5 |
|
Samara region |
15.3 |
10.71 |
70 |
8.5 |
2458 |
26.3 |
|
Stavropolsky Krai |
12.6 |
8.82 |
70 |
3.4 |
1438 |
11.7 |
|
Bashkortostan Republic |
10.4 |
7.28 |
70 |
12.6 |
1843 |
44.8 |
|
For Comparison: Nizhegorodskaya Oblast |
13.1 |
6.02 |
45.9 |
2.7 |
1506 |
16.0 |
Regions are recommended to use these standards when planning minimum funds channeled to housing and communal subsidies. If a region's costs are higher than federal standards or if regional authorities want to establish social protection from high tariffs, no money will be transferred from the federal budget.* Bashkortostan, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Yaroslavl data (in bold) include special transfers, not only subsidies. For other cities, disparity in payments is to be covered from regional budgets (for Samara it is 100-70-26.3=3.7%, for Nizhny Novgorod 100-45.9-16.0=38.1%). Source: ZhKH (Housing and communal sector - S.S.) Journal #7, 2001, p. 39-44.