Challenges and prospects for development of housing self-management in Belarus (the research report)

17.04.2012
Centre for European Transformation

In September-October 2011 a sociological study "The concept of the owner and the property of the population of Minsk" was carried out in Minsk as part of work on theme "Challenges and prospects for development of housing self-management in...

In September-October 2011 a sociological study "The concept of the owner and the property of the population of Minsk" was carried out in Minsk as part of work on theme "Challenges and prospects for development of housing self-management in Belarus". The customer for the research was the Republican socio-educational public association "Joint home ownership", the Centre for European Transformation and the private enterprise "MASMI BI". The report on the results of the work executed is presented below.

 


 

Republican socio-educational public association "Joint home ownership"

Centre for European Transformation

Private enterprise "MASMI BI"

Challenges and prospects for development of housing self-management in Belarus

(the research report)

 

Aksana Shelest, PhD in sociology, Senior analyst of the Centre for European transformation;
Olga Fablinova
, Master of social sciences.

 

INTRODUCTION

Today, even taking into account the increase of tariffs, the population of Belarus pays on the average about 35% of the cost price of all housing and communal services. The program of activity of the Government of Belarus for 2011-2015 has a task to stage-by-stage increase the level of compensation by the population of the expenses for rendering housing-and-municipal services up to 60%. Thus, separate types of services should be paid to the full (water supply, removal and neutralization of firm household waste, electro- and gas supply).

According to the Concept of development of housing and communal services of Belarus for the period till 2015, the increase of the level of compensation, besides other measures, should be reached by "carrying out demonopolization and development of competitive environment", which is reflected in the strategy of a systematic reduction of the share of the state in housing and communal services, as well as destatization of the dwelling stock. The strategy of a systematic reduction of the share of the state is directed on creation of competitive environment and on construction of market relations in the housing and communal services sphere.

Thus, the state, nevertheless, reserves its right to form a tariff policy and control. The strategy of destatization of the dwelling stock is directed on creation and development of associations of proprietors and building consumer cooperative societies so that to let tenants to independently manage the property of joint house property.

As of January, 2011, in the Republic, there were 832 associations of proprietors and 5 920 building consumer cooperative societies. Thus, 528 associations of proprietors and 2 755 building consumer cooperative societies were served independently, and the others – by housing organizations (as a rule, state-run ones). Uniting in associations of proprietors and building consumer cooperative societies allows tenants of a house to operate their property that is important taking into account the prospect of transition to 100-percent payment of housing and communal services and, accordingly, the increase of the need to control the most rational use of the available material means with a view of minimization of the necessary expenses.

Moreover, a wide spread of different forms of house management, responsible for a selection of the contractor to perform service and repair works in an apartment house, can accelerate considerably the process of demonopolization and development of competitive environment in the housing and communal services sphere. The choice of this or that contractor will be connected to the decision of members of associations of proprietors and building consumer cooperative societies. Thus, the correctly made choice will influence the reception of the necessary goods/service of high quality at the comprehensible price that will lead to an effective use of the financial assets paid to associations by proprietors of premises.

Thus, the development of private services in the housing and communal services sphere and the developments of self-management of the housing property will help several parties: the state - by removing the budgetary charges on maintenance and operation of the houses, which are in private property (100-percent payment by tenants of housing and communal services), and also by development of a competition in the sphere of housing and communal services, which will lead to development of the market of housing services.

Private business - by opening new possibilities in the sphere of rendering services. The population – by the possibility to independently manage the joint property, possibility to manage the budget of an association (a choice of the most comprehensible contractor by finding a conformity between charges, service of the house, and quality of services provided by the contractor).

However, despite the necessity of carrying out the reform in the housing and communal services sphere, there are a number of problems with its realization.

First, the introduction by the state of this sort of reform of housing and communal services should be accompanied by support from the population. At present, tenants of houses sometimes are compelled to unite or unite, but do not realize it: buyers of apartments in a future house unite in a building consumer cooperative society, which becomes the customer of the building, and the state lists for a complete overhaul only the houses, in which associations of proprietors are created. But effective functioning of various kinds of associations of tenants of apartment houses is only possible if there is social activity and responsibility of each proprietor of an apartment in the aspect of observance of elementary rules of the use of the municipal infrastructure, in participation in the choice of a form of management, control of management of this infrastructure. It is possible only if people have an active position in relation to their property, a thrifty attitude, culture of the proprietor of habitation, not just a simple tenant.

At present, it is possible to say that Belarusans have no experience in self-management, that is - in their understanding and practice there is no experience of conducting "joint affairs", of joint management of common property.

Second, while there is a comprehension of the necessity of carrying out the reform of housing and communal services, instructions in the concept of development of housing and communal services in Belarus for the period till 2015 have no basic directions of its implementation; there is no accurately registered mechanism of achievement of the set tasks (in particular - the mechanism of the most painless transition to 100 % payment of the cost of housing-and-municipal services for all levels of the population of Belarus).

Third, the implementation of the reform in the housing and communal services sphere is impossible without a meaningful dialogue of all interested parties (representatives of public authorities, proprietors of habitation, and representatives of business structures) which conducting experience is insufficient. Development of mechanisms of the implementation of the reform in the housing and communal services sphere and the acceptance of practical decisions for its implementation should become the result of such interaction. Attempts to create platforms for this dialogue were undertaken: in particular - creation of social councils to help develop a system of management of joint home ownerships. However, the establishment of these councils has not started automatically the processes of interaction and dialogue. Without working out concrete mechanisms and procedures of formation and functioning of social councils as a communication platform, without a definition of regulations of work and competences of these councils, this initiative remains at the level of a formal-declarative action. The comprehension of its necessity is not enough for an effective dialogue concerning the implementation of the reform of housing and communal services; it is necessary to break stereotypes and opinions of representatives of state structures (their point of view that social councils are just "decorative", the fear of independent decision-making and execution of responsibility, etc.); overcoming of lack of initiative, passivity of the population; overcoming of the absence of due experience, knowledge and skills of chairpersons of building consumer cooperative societies and of associations of proprietors for negotiating with tenants and representatives of state structures; overcoming of opinions of representatives of business structures about hopelessness of negotiating with the state structures. Thus, there is a question on the necessity of formation of mechanisms and culture of conducting dialogue between the state and non-state subjects interested in effective, consecutive, successful carrying out of reform of housing and communal services.

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