developing homeowners in Tajikistan

Has it ever occurred to you that homeownership is a skill and one needs to learn it? In countries like Tajikistan, where traditions of owning property are relatively short, multifamily houses are slowly deteriorating. The transition period from the state to private ownership has been dragging on for too long. Now, it is reflected on the shabby facades of residential buildings in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital.  

After the breakup of the Soviet Union almost 30 years ago, residents suddenly became homeowners. They had to start taking care of the maintenance jobs, which were previously done by the state through the Housing Maintenance Agency. Though the Agency was designed for a centrally planned system, homeowners continue to use its services to the present day.

Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan is starting to work with the Dushanbe municipality to introduce a more up-to-date housing maintenance system. They plan to restructure the Housing Maintenance Agency and create more efficient and transparent homeowners’ associations. 

At the moment, the Housing Maintenance Agency is not able to provide quality services for the homeowners. As a result, homeowners often end up paying twice for  maintenance jobs. Often, they have to hire private companies to fix problems after the Agency finish their work.   

This cooperation between the Dushanbe municipality and Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan will help homeowners to take over maintenance responsibilities from the state. Both organizations plan to:

•    Establish and support new homeowners’ associations “Condominium Development”
•    Empower residents to take control over their homes’ maintenance
•    Stimulate involvement of the private service sector into home maintenance. 

“The collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan is a solid step forward in solving the burning issue of the multifamily housing sector in the country. This will empower homeowners to make decisions over their property and effectively manage and monitor expenses,” noted Ms.Soleha Salikhova, head of the construction and utilities sector at the Dushanbe municipality during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding for the project “Condominium Development”.
 

Facts about Tajikistan