The National program on reforming and developing housing and communal services got only “wordy” implementation

7 February 2012 in IA “Ukrainian National News” was held a roundtable on the theme “Housing reform: a country of responsible owners or mercenaries of housing servitude?” on which activists of the Civic Network OPORA, heads of Condominiums, and representatives of state institutions discussed the accomplishment of the National program on reforming and developing housing and communal services and tried find out what prevents the implementation of the Instruction of the President of Ukraine of 13.10.2010 No.1-1/2427, paragraph on improvement of the regulatory framework concerning creation and functioning of condominiums.
According to the leader of housing programs of CN OPORA Tetiana Boiko, the housing reform in Ukraine should be near its completion (by the National program on reforming and developing housing and communal services on 2009-2014). “However, now we are “stuck” on the basic level - coping with constant obstacles for organized co-owners, people, which independently, without waiting for outside assistance, are taking care of their houses. Despite all loud statements of high-level officials to promote Condominiums, they have to constantly "struggle" for survival. At the same time, the implementation of Instruction of the President and Government is sabotaged by the Central executive authorities. It seems, that a situation of uncertainty, multiformity, and inconsistency in the legislation is beneficial to everybody”, - stated Tetiana Boiko during the roundtable.
The bill No.8474 “On making amendments to some laws on condominiums”, which could “stop bleeding of the Condominiums artery”, is still not adopted. Adopting or not adopting this act (or adopting it in a distorted form) will show the desired direction of improvement of our state – to the country of responsible owners or mercenaries of housing servitude. If the first direction will be chosen, we could further talk about reforming and implementation of the National program - formation of housing market, supporting relationships with producers and performers of communal services, social protection of low income residents, and increasing energy efficiency in the residential sector.
According to the first deputy head of the minister of regional development construction and housing and communal services of Ukraine Oleksandr Alipov, the Ministry of regional development hopes that the profile committee of the VR will approve the last wording of the bill No.8474. “We hope that this wording will be submitted for the session of the VR and supported”, - said Oleksandr Alipov. The official is convinced that these amendments to the legislation are really necessary today, especially for the already created Condominiums. Problems of Condominiums may be solved only on the legislative level.
Oleksii Kucherenko, the head of Homeowners Association of Ukraine, thinks that problems of housing in Ukraine should be taken away from the confrontation with Russia over natural gas. In his opinion, one of the obstacles for modernization of the communal services is tariff policy. “This policy should go along with the process of housing modernization, but we have no transparent and consistent tariff policy for today.” - states the head of Association.
A member of VRU Committee on construction, city planning, housing service and regional politics Viktor Matchuk is sure that a main barrier for adoption of the bill No.8474 is the land issue. “Nobody wants to pass the land under a building into the ownership of its co-owners.” – stated the people’s deputy during the discussion of the accomplishment of National program on reforming and developing housing and communal services.
Activists and heads of Condominiums that were present on the roundtable appealed to the authorities to fulfill the Instruction of the President of Ukraine of 13.10.2010 No.1-1/2427, paragraph on improvement of the regulatory framework concerning creation and functioning of condominiums. The public is waiting from authorities not words, but deeds, because from their side all obligations by the National program were fulfilled.

The aim of the project entitled "Housing reform in Ukraine: viewpoint of public", implemented by the Civic Network OPORA with the support of the program "Civil Society and Appropriate Administration" of the International Renaissance  Foundation is public monitoring of the realization of the housing reform and provision of recommendations for its progress at the national level.