Konstantin Tsitsin: “Today Tatarstan is an ultimate leader in restructuring of housing and public utilities”

The work of the State Corporation – Fund assisting restructuring of Housing and Public Utilities for the period of 2007-2012, and the prospects for its work in 2013-2015 were discussed today at an extended meeting held together with the Board of the Ministry of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The meeting was attended by Director General of the Fund of Housing and Public Utilities Konstantin Tsitsin, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Ildar Khalikov, representatives of federal and regional authorities as well as experts in the field of housing and public utilities. 74 representatives of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation participated in the meeting.

Opening the meeting, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan noted that the work of the Fund had financially stabilized the housing sector, begun its modernization, significantly reduced energy consumption and provided target social support for low-income citizens.

“The Fund should work and co-finance. We are grateful that the Fund will work until 2016, but a lot of things depend on us. Each region should convince the country's leaders of the fact that major repairs and dealing with the failing housing stock should be carried out at the same time. It would be wrong to continue major repairs and forget about the failing housing stock. Both issues should be in the center of attention”, said Rustam Minnikhanov.

Head of the state corporation Konstantin Tsitsin noted the success of the Republic made when restructuring housing and public utilities. According to him, there is the reason that the Fund summarizes its activities in Kazan. “There is nothing to hide. Today Tatarstan is an ultimate leader in restructuring of housing and public utilities”, he said. Konstantin Tsitsin recalled that according to a new version of the Law on the Fund of Housing and Public Utilities the state corporation will work until January 1st, 2016. However, its work will be changed. In 2013-2015 the key activity will be the relocation of people from the failing housing stock. During this period it is planned to resettle people from nearly 11 million square meters of the failing houses.

The Fund plans to invest about 159 billion rubles of which about 126 billion are to be relocated for the relocation of people from the failing houses.

Simultaneously, the Fund will continue co-financing major repairs in apartment houses as well as start dealing with the modernization of public infrastructure. 18 and 15 billion rubles accordingly will be allocated for these purposes.

Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic of Tatarstan Irek Faizullin reported on the implementation of the Federal Law “On the Fund assisting restructuring of Housing and Public Utilities” in Tatarstan. The adoption of the Law was mostly initiated by the Republic. After the meeting on the housing and public utilities held in Kazan in January 2007 with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation, it was decided to implement a large-scale federal program. For the first two years of the program in 2008-2009 the Republic could entirely assimilate the allocated federal funds for major repairs and fulfill all the conditions set by the federal government when restructuring the housing sector. However, by 2010, there were still about 40 million square meters of housing in Tatarstan which required major repairs. In this context, together with the Fund of Housing and Public Utilities, it was decided to implement a pilot project on the establishment of a regional fund and the creation of a new mechanism financing major repairs.

From 2008 to 2012, more than 29 billion rubles were allocated for the program on major repairs. More than 7.5 thousand houses with a total area of ​​33 million square meters were repaired, and more than 1.32 million people improved their living conditions.

Special attention was paid to energy efficiency in the housing sector. In addition to the problems of the implementation of the Federal Law on the Fund assisting restructuring of Housing and Public Utilities, some reports were devoted to the production, installation and operation of metering devices.

As noted Konstantin Tsitsin noted for the first time he had arrived in Tatarstan without a new year’s gift in the form of a decision to grant the next tranche of the Fund. “I decided to congratulate the Republic on its being almost the only one among the Russian regions to assimilate the entire funds as well as on the fact that by December 31st, 2012 the Republic will implement all programs. I want to congratulate the President of Tatarstan who made the program be completed”, said Konstantin Tsitsin.