Prime Minister Vladimir Putin inspected the neighborhood "New Izhora” where the Ministry of Defense purchased 350 cottages. "New Izhora” is located near St. Petersburg. 350 of 800 cottages were sold to the
Defense Ministry for navy, air force officers and officers of Leningrad military district. According to the head of the Ministry Anatoly Serdyukov, the cost of one square meter is slightly more than 44 thousand rubles (approximately $1500), and the total area of the house is 128-136 sq. meters.
The minister complained that though the house price fits the cost norms only apartments under the legislation for military personnel can be provided. Putin responded that such norm can be corrected by the government. He also added that such housing conditions should stimulate families of the officers to have more children.
According to the federal law "On status of military men” each family member should be provided with area of 18 square meters per person. Given that the size of cottages in the New Izhora is 128-136 squares the families should consist of at least 7 members to apply for these houses. According to the Fontanka data, among the officers of the Leningrad military district more than 17 thousand people are not provided with housing of whom more than 5 thousand stand in line for permanent living space. However, there are no more than 200 officers whose families comprise at least 5 people.
About 2,5 billion rubles were spent on purchasing of cottages in New Izhora and other district to the west of Saint Petersburg. If the price per square is 44 thousand rubles then 1558 one-room apartments could have been purchased at the same sum of money and distributed to the officers who stand in line for the housing. Instead just 350 people will be provided with the housing. Moreover, the Minister in case of apartment building wouldn’t have to complain about inappropriate legislation as apartment building is recommended by the law.
But Vladimir Putin didn’t divide 128 by 18.
Julia Nikitina,
Fontanka.ru