Subsidies Instead of Free Housing
Igor Belyaev, known for his charitable activities, actively supports orphaned children and other vulnerable groups in society. Having himself graduated from an orphanage, he understands their needs perfectly."Today, I need help myself," Belyaev shared recently on his social media.However, upon learning about the criteria for receiving social benefits, he realized that he did not qualify for a number of reasons: he is not a father of many children, a person with disabilities, and he is not in a difficult life situation. The status of a graduate of an orphanage does not grant him any preferences. As a result, he was offered an affordable mortgage with an interest rate of 8%, but the queue for this program consists of about 15,000 applicants.
Refusing to give up, Igor decided to propose changes to the Housing Code to improve the situation for orphaned children and graduates of orphanages. He sent an official letter to several deputies, emphasizing that this category of citizens is one of the most vulnerable in society.
"After completing their education in orphanages and boarding schools, orphaned children are left without family support, starting capital, and often without a roof over their heads. Despite the legislatively enshrined right to housing, many graduates cannot exercise this right for several years," he noted.
In this regard, Belyaev proposed considering several initiatives:
- amend the Housing Code of the Kyrgyz Republic to include graduates of orphanages in the list of individuals entitled to social mortgages;
- provide graduates of orphanages the opportunity to register with the State Mortgage Company to obtain a subsidized mortgage with an interest rate of up to 4% per annum;
- ensure equal rights for graduates of orphanages to participate in state housing programs with the possibility of self-paying for housing.
Social Housing for Orphans
At a joint meeting of the deputy factions "Ala-Too" and "Eldik," Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov reported that the government plans to implement a social housing program for orphans."With social mortgages, housing becomes private property. We are currently developing a social housing program for orphans, which will involve renting. This program is being created at the direction of the president," said the deputy head of the cabinet.
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According to the Children's Code, orphaned children who are 16 years old and do not have housing have the right to receive housing out of turn. In accordance with the Housing Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, orphans and children left without parental care can receive housing out of turn after completing their education in educational institutions and social service facilities.Public foundations emphasize that the issue of providing housing for graduates of orphanages is extremely complex. In 2021, the public foundation "Our Right" and the public organization "Interbileem" conducted a study on the housing conditions of these graduates. "Every year, about 300-400 graduates of orphanages are released into society, but accurate data on the number of those in need of housing is lacking," the report states.
According to the study results, 43% of graduates expressed dissatisfaction with their housing conditions, and 30% of respondents pointed to high rental prices. "Representatives of public organizations note that the issue of temporary housing for graduates of orphanages is usually addressed by non-governmental organizations through donor funds and citizen assistance. However, this help cannot cover all graduates, putting them at risk of marginalization, homelessness, and criminalization, as well as forcing them to make difficult survival decisions," the study states.
"Legislation ensuring the protection of orphaned children's rights to adequate housing is not being implemented. Graduates of orphanages remain without support, and the issue of providing them with housing is not a priority for either municipal or state authorities," the authors of the study concluded.
