- Статьи
- Society
- Public benefit: the calculation of subsidies for housing and communal services may be changed in the Russian Federation
Public benefit: the calculation of subsidies for housing and communal services may be changed in the Russian Federation
The maximum allowable share of expenses for calculating subsidies for housing and communal services for low-income Russians was proposed to be set nationwide at 15%. For single pensioners and large families, the level will be 10%. This initiative was put forward in the State Duma. The subsidy can help hundreds of thousands of citizens living in the regions, experts say. However, the adoption of the proposed changes will require additional budget funding. Whether there is enough money for a new norm is in the Izvestia article.
The new order
In Russia, the procedure for calculating subsidies for housing and utilities may change. The initiative will affect low-income Russians, pensioners and large families. A corresponding inter-factional bill has been submitted to the State Duma.
The explanatory note to the draft law recalls that the subsidy allocated for these purposes is one of the measures of social support for citizens. It is funded from the budget of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, but is regulated by federal law.
In accordance with the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, when determining the right of citizens to receive subsidies, the allowable share of expenses for housing and communal services in the total family income is applied. The maximum allowable share is set by the regional authorities.
Its size is at the level of 22%. The region may set the share below the federal standard, but the decision on this will depend on its financial security. In most regions, this is not possible, which is why the maximum allowable share of expenses remains at the federal level.
Currently, in most regions, the rule is in effect: if spending on utilities exceeds 22% of the total family income, you can get a subsidy, recalls Dmitry Bondar, an expert on housing and communal services. This figure was established by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 541 dated 08/29/2005.
The difficulty lies in the fact that the subjects of the federation are in very different financial conditions, says expert Kirill Parfenov. Most of the subjects of the Russian Federation are subsidized, that is, they themselves receive assistance from the federal budget. Only the wealthiest regions can afford to set a very low threshold, after which a family is recognized as needing help to pay utility bills, the specialist points out.
— Today, a paradoxical situation is developing: in Moscow with a high standard of living, the maximum amount of housing and communal services expenses for a family is set at 10%, in most other poor regions the maximum allowable level of expenses corresponds to the federal level — 22%. It turns out that in regions with a high standard of living, where there are few people living below the poverty line, social security is higher, and in regions with a low standard of living and the level of social support is much lower," Vadim Kovrigin, Associate Professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, draws attention.
In this regard, in the context of a significant increase in utility tariffs, which is fixed in 2025, and an increase in utility debts, the authors of the initiative consider it necessary to reconsider approaches to the targeted provision of subsidies for housing and communal services. First of all, it is proposed to change the amount of the maximum share of payment expenses in family income — this will allow more low-income citizens to apply for a measure of support.
For low-income Russians, they want to set the maximum allowable share of their own expenses at 15%. For single pensioners and large families, it will amount to 10%.
"The adoption of the proposed bill will reduce social tension in society, as it will allow more low-income citizens to receive financial assistance for housing and utilities, reduce the number of defaulters of housing and communal services, which will have a positive impact on the activities of housing and communal services," the parliamentarians are convinced.
The editorial board of Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation. No response has been received at the time of publication.
The Paradox of the Poor
The subsidy for housing and communal services is one of the most important measures of social support for citizens experiencing financial difficulties, says Kirill Parfenov, Associate Professor at the Department of Public and Municipal Administration, Candidate of Political Sciences.
The bill is aimed at smoothing out the problems with the social security of Russians in different regions, he believes. A noticeable decrease in the maximum allowable level of housing and communal services costs will dramatically increase the number of those eligible for subsidies.
— It's hard to say exactly how much, but in Russia as a whole, at least two or three times for sure. A subsidy with its normal distribution, without unnecessary delays and with the necessary control, can really help hundreds of thousands and even millions of Russian families living in non—metropolitan cities," the Izvestia interlocutor is convinced.
The initiative will allow families in straitened financial conditions to save another 7% to 12% of their total income, says Parfenov. The only exception will be residents of those regions of the Federation where the threshold for granting subsidies is currently set at a very low level.
— For families who live hard, every thousand rubles is serious money that allows them to buy medicines, slightly more expensive products, and gifts for children, — the expert is sure.
However, it must be borne in mind that the prospect of granting subsidies depends not only on the total family income, but also on many other factors, such as the need to pay contributions for major repairs, adds Parfenov.
Find the funds
The adoption of the proposed changes will require additional budget financing, Dmitry Bondar draws attention.
— The materials to the bill explicitly state that it will be necessary to increase funding to support the regions. The exact amount has not yet been announced, this is a matter for future budget planning," he notes.
It is difficult to say exactly how much it will take to implement the initiative, Vadim Kovrigin agrees. In 2024, subsidies to regional budgets for these purposes amounted to more than 12 billion rubles. Meanwhile, in the capital, according to the Department of Economic Policy and Development of the city of Moscow, expenses in the amount of 23.8 billion rubles were planned for the payment of subsidies for housing and communal services to low-income families, the expert said.
But it should be borne in mind that in Moscow the percentage of low-income families out of the total number of families is much lower than, for example, in the Kurgan region, the Izvestia interlocutor emphasizes.
— Even if we proportionally extend the expenses of the city of Moscow with a maximum of 10% for family subsidies to the whole of Russia, we will receive expenses of more than 230 billion rubles. And the percentage of households eligible for subsidies will be higher in the regions," Kovrigin predicts.
According to his calculations, the total federal budget expenditures could amount to more than 400 billion rubles as a result.
The path to simplification
In addition, the idea of the bill, according to Dmitry Bondar, misses an important nuance. The main problem is not just to reduce interest rates, but to make it easier for people to get help.
The new provision of the law does not change anything in the order of granting subsidies, Vadim Kovrigin clarifies. To receive a subsidy, you can apply through the unified portal of public services, in the "My Documents" centers or regional centers for social protection of the population.
— The list of documents required to receive a subsidy includes an identity card (passport), income documents, the basis for using residential premises (lease agreement, certificate of ownership, etc.), documents on the composition of the family and other necessary papers, — the expert lists.
However, it is difficult for many citizens, especially the elderly or the sick, to collect information and go to the authorities, Bondar notes. The weaker and more helpless a person is, the more difficult it is for him to fulfill complex bureaucratic requirements, he is convinced.
— It is better not to insist on a radical reduction in percentage figures, but to increase the real number of recipients of assistance by simplifying access to it, — the interlocutor of Izvestia recommends.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
