Russia

Housing Need
Even after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia remains a vast country with a population of about 142 million people. In both total area and geographic extent, Russia is the largest country in the world, comprising more than one-ninth of the world's land area.

After 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, people throughout Russia lost not only their way of life but also their savings, jobs and homes. The housing situation in Russia quickly deteriorated as local authorities were no longer able to build and distribute free or subsidized housing. As the government privatized most of its state-owned housing, giving ownership to existing tenants free of charge, the housing stock quickly deteriorated from lack of maintenance by the new, cash-strapped homeowners. Another effect of privatization was to make rental housing scarce. Almost a third of the rural population lives in poverty, with more than half of households lacking running water, sewerage and central heating.

Most people in Russia live in multi-story housing blocks that may have up to 300 apartments. In some buildings, up to 30 families share two toilets and have sinks instead of showers for washing. Overcrowding is widespread, and many extended families live in apartments not large enough to accommodate even a single family.

Habitat in Russia
Habitat for Humanity International was invited to work in Russia by a group of concerned citizens in Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryatia Republic located in Eastern Siberia. The Ulan-Ude affiliate in Russia was approved in November 2002 and began construction just a few months later. The affiliate started work by buying and renovating two dilapidated apartments and one half-built house. Habitat`s work immediately captured the interest of the local population, attracting not only many families wishing to partner with Habitat but also volunteers offering to help.

Habitat for Humanity Ulan-Ude, the first and only Habitat affiliate in Russia, has built and renovated safe and decent homes with 31 low-income families since 2003.

HFH Ulan-Ude builds completely new, single-family houses and also renovates existing apartments.

In Ulan-Ude, many families suffer through harsh Siberian winters in dilapidated flats with rotting wooden windows that allow 80 percent of the unit’s heat to escape. HFH Ulan Ude is replacing those windows with energy-efficient plastic windows, improving living conditions and decreasing energy bills.

Habitat Highlights

• Buryatia is rich in woods which make it possible to build solid, healthy and aesthetically beautiful homes. The average house is 48 to 56 square meters. By using natural, local products (especially logs of pine and larch), HFH Ulan-Ude builds comfortable homes that are warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

• The Republic of Buryatia is located in a seismic zone, so HFH Ulan-Ude builds houses using several support techniques.

• HFH Ulan-Ude has served 31 families since 2003.

• Six Global village teams have been hosted by HFH Ulan-Ude since 2004