Deputy Minister of Industry and Construction Kuandyk Kazhkenov reported on the work being done to provide infrastructure and barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities at the Government session, primeminister.kz reports.
According to him, the Ministry is constantly working to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities and to ensure equal access for all citizens to infrastructure and social facilities.
Amendments have been made to the current legislation in the field of architectural, town-planning and construction activities. The current regulatory framework contains all the necessary requirements for creating a favourable environment for persons with disabilities.
In particular, it establishes:
- mandatory accessibility requirement in the architectural and planning task and design task;
- sending the project for revision in the absence of accessibility conditions in the project at the expert review stage;
- fulfilment of barrier-free environment requirements during construction;
- control by the author's and technical supervisors over the provision of a barrier-free environment during construction;
- ensuring a barrier-free environment during landscaping;
- elimination of the need to coordinate with neighbours the redevelopment of the flat to create accessibility conditions;
- a separate section in the design and estimate documentation on accessibility;
- participation of social protection authorities in the acceptance of objects to confirm the provision of accessibility for persons with disabilities;
- the obligation to provide at least 5 per cent of flats for persons with disabilities in the planning and construction of residential buildings at the expense of the budget.
In addition, a number of measures of State support for these categories of citizens are envisaged in the area of housing relations. To date, 56,000 persons with disabilities of groups 1 and 2 and 25,000 families raising children with disabilities are on the waiting list for housing. Several mechanisms of State support are being implemented to provide them with housing. To cover part of the down payment on favourable mortgage loans, citizens are issued housing certificates up to a maximum of 1.5 million tenge. Persons with disabilities of groups 1 and 2 were issued 423 certificates worth 474.8 million tenge, and families having or raising children with disabilities 305 certificates totalling 344.1 million tenge.
On the instructions of the Head of State, from 2022, some categories of citizens on the waiting list, including persons with Group 1 and 2 disabilities and families raising children with disabilities, are subsidised part of the cost of renting housing in the private sector. To date, 9,955 families receive payments, including 854 persons with disabilities of 1 and 2 groups, and 703 families raising children with disabilities," Deputy Minister reported.
Also, citizens on the waiting list for housing can get preferential mortgage loans at reduced rates of 2 per cent and 5 per cent through Otbasi Bank. At the rate of 2%, loans are granted to four categories of citizens, including persons with disabilities of groups 1 and 2 and families raising children with disabilities. At the rate of 5 % to all other categories. According to the results of 9 months of the current year, 5746 people on the waiting list purchased housing under the mechanism of preferential lending. Of these, 851 loans were given to persons with disabilities of the 1st and 2nd groups, and 644 loans were given to families having or bringing up children with disabilities.
Along with the existing measures of state support, work is underway to reform housing policy.
Currently, both chambers of the Parliament have approved a draft law, which provides for amendments concerning the provision of the right to privatise previously issued rental housing without buyout for socially vulnerable segments of the population, including families having or bringing up children with disabilities and persons with disabilities of groups 1 and 2. Persons with disabilities of groups 1 and 2 will be able to privatise communal housing free of charge. In addition, the bill provides for the provision of priority right to receive housing, including for families having or raising children with disabilities and persons with disabilities of 1 and 2 groups," Kuandyk Kazhkenov emphasised.
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