Rustam Minnikhanov: “We need to keep up people's confidence in the capital repair programme"

On November 13, in Moscow at the International News Agency “Russia Today”, speaking at a press-conference themed “Capital repair of multi-apartment houses”, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that the programme of capital repair of multi-apartment houses was one of the most effective programmes initiated by the Russian leadership. The conference was also attended by Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Utilities of Russia Andrei Chibis, Chairman of the housing policy and housing and utilities services committee of the Russian State Duma Galina Khovanskaya, Tatarstan Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing Irek Faizullin.

Andrei Chibis told about changes to the federal legislation related to launching programmes of capital repair of multi-apartment houses in regions. According to him, the adopted legislation was mostly based on the experience of Tatarstan as a region which has been implementing its own regional capital repair programme since 2010. Regional programmes have been adopted in 73 regions of Russia. "We plan that 50 thousand multi-apartment houses will be overhauled in the country during 2014-2015, and 9,000 houses will be repaired by the end of 2014 under regional programmes,” he said.

According to him, the funding from the federal budget to be allocated for the capital repair programme during 2014-2015 amounted to 11 billion roubles. About 40 billion roubles have been included in the regional and local budgets to co-finance these programs.

Among issues arisen in connection with the implementation of the regional programmes the Deputy Minister mentioned the safety of funds collected from housing owners and quality of work performance. According to Andrei Chibis, each region is responsible for the funds coming to the regional operator and homeowners who should accept the works done, have the opportunity to turn for help to the State Housing Inspection.

Galina Khovanskaya noted the need to insure the homeowners’ funds accumulated on the accounts, as well as to charge interests on these funds.

Rustam Minnikhanov agreed that the capital repair of multi-apartment houses is a very topical issue and for the republic too. Tatarstan President said that 11,852 multi-apartment houses have been repaired in the republic since 2008. The works totalled to 39 billion roubles, including 18.5 billion roubles from regional funds, 10.5 billion roubles allocated by the Fund of assistance to reforming housing and communal services and 9.5 billion roubles of the homeowners’ funds. About 793 houses were renovated in 2014, Minnikhanov said.