One hundred apartments will be purchased for orphans in the Almaty region. The decision was made during the regular session of the regional maslikhat (city administration) on May 20, announced the press service of the Akim (Governor) of the Almaty region. The administration has allocated 646 million tenge (US$3.5 million) from the regional budget to realise the project.
According to the head of the regional Department of Economy and Budget Planning Nafisa Satybaldina, the development of the social sphere of the region remains on top of the agenda for the next few years.
The matter of providing affordable housing for orphans has also been addressed in East Kazakhstan. In 2011, then Regional Akim (Governor) Berdibek Saparbayev established a complex plan to provide medical, educational and social support for orphans of the region. One of the most important parts of the plan became a Maiyrim charity auction, which provided opportunities for orphans to find apartments. During the past four years, the auction has embraced 1,861 orphans and 1,911 charity organisations, which allocated 211 million tenge (US$ 1.1 million) and 243 apartments to support children in need.
According to Deputy Head of the Pavlodar Regional Board of Education Sayan Mukanov 2,995 children are now on the waiting list to get an apartment, however, it is expected that only 5 percent of them will receive new housing in the next three years.
“Three new [housing structures with] 216 apartments each will be put into operation this year in Pavlodar, but less that 20 percent of these apartments will be given to orphans. Only 42 children will be able to start living in a newly built house. It is also not planned to start construction in 2016 and 2017 because of the absence financial support,” explained Mukanov.
The highest number of apartments given to orphans in the Pavlodar region was in the city of Ekibastus (145). In Aksu and Pavlodar, orphans have received 58 and 47 apartments respectively. The Kichirsk district allocated only 15 apartments for orphans.
