Transformation of ownership relations in the housing sector of economy and the priorities of contemporary housing policy

Transformation of ownership relations in the housing sector deserves special consideration because at various stages of this process there were new, unknown in terms of administrative system problems, the necessity of comprehension of which dictates simultaneously the search for adequate ways to solve them by means of the housing policy. During the entire period of transformation of property relations in the housing sector from 1991 to 2013 four major stages can be singled out. The first stage (1991-1992) began with the adoption of the Federal Law ''On Privatization of the Housing Stock of the Russian Federation'', No. 1541-1-FZ of July 4, 1991, in accordance with which the process of privatization of state and municipal housing stock started. At the second stage (1993-1995) the starting point of transformations was the adoption of the Law ''On Foundations of Federal Housing Policy'' No. 4218-1 FZ of December 24, 1992, as well as the Constitution of the Russian Federation of December 12, 1993, which contain the basic principles of legal regulation of housing relations in market conditions. The law ''On the Fundamentals of the Federal Housing Policy'' can be called a Declaration of Intent to reform the housing sector [2, p. 2] as at that time the Soviet Housing Code of the RSFSR adopted in 1983 was still in act. The third stage (1996-2003) is characterised by the formation of institutional relations connected with the problems of separation of ownership and management of privatized housing, maintenance of the housing fund. This situation was due to the requirements of the market: need to fight against monopolies, development of competition and improvement of the quality of housing and communal services, as well as residents' involvement in the process of housing management and increase of their responsibility for the property. The fourth stage (2004 - present) is driven by the adoption of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation on December 29, 2004, No. 188-FZ [3], which ordered the legislative framework in the field of residential ownership and defined further priorities for housing policy. As a result of the transformations, the situation in the housing sector of the economy has changed dramatically. At the same time the consequences of these transformations of ownership relations were problems requiring special attention. Such problems were: the need for formation of the institution of the effective owner in apartment houses, overcoming social heterogeneity of housing, formation of municipal social housing.

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