Housing Reform in the Russian Federation: A Review of Three Cities and Their Transition to a Market Economy

摘要

The housing sector in the Russian cities of Moscow, Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) and Novosibirsk is assessed to determine suitable areas for USAID technical assistance. For each city, the report assesses housing sector status and trends, the structure of the municipal government, the city's capacity to manage housing reform, constraints to the provision of private housing, and problems affecting the housing sector. An initial section identifies the following cross-cutting trends and issues observed in the three cities. (1) There is a significant shortage of housing. (2) At the same time, small contractors and 'self-help' families have begun building single-family houses outside Moscow in significant numbers. (3) Management and maintenance of the existing housing stock require substantial reform. (4) There is a critical need for a stable financial system to channel resources for the development of infrastructure and the construction and purchase of housing. (5) Privatization is a growing phenomenon. (6) Communist-era bureaucracies are still responsible for administering housing programs.