Homelessness in the Russian Federation: Regional and Local Context

• Published date: 01 March 2020
• Author: Elena Korostyshevskaya,Leyla Gamidullaeva
• Date: 01 March 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12323

Homelessness in the Russian Federation:

Regional and Local Context

By ElEna KorostyshEvsKaya* and lEyla GamidullaEva†

abstract. The problem of homelessness in the Russian Federation has

deep roots in history. Throughout much of the past century, it was a

result of displacement of children during revolution, civil war, and

wars with foreign powers. Even now, many of the economic problems

that cause homelessness in Russia result from sanctions imposed by

foreign governments. This article explains the roles of the state and

charities in ameliorating the contemporary situation of people without

housing. One of the most important programs of one charity involves

providing some form of paid work to everyone in the shelters, so

that residents can feel a sense of self-worth often lacking in purely

charitable ventures. In the long run, no specialized programs that

target the homeless can make a dent in the problem unless the state,

civil society, and housing developers work together to produce more

decent housing in cities and create more jobs in rural areas that are

currently facing depopulation. The recent introduction of escrow

accounts to reduce fraud in housing finance is already making a

difference in promoting increased housing construction.

Introduction

The problem of homelessness in the Russian Federation is very

acute. The number of poor has grown as a result of the economic

crisis caused by falling oil prices and sanctions imposed by Western

countries. There was a 20 percent increase in the poverty rate from

2014 to 2015, leaving 13.4 percent of the population living below

subsistence (Agence-France Presse 2016). Official poverty statistics

show another 1.5 million people have fallen into poverty since then,

bringing the 2019 poverty rate to 14.3 percent (Moscow Times 2019).

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Vol. 79, No. 2 (March, 2020).

DOI: 10.1111/ajes.12323

© 2020 American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc.

*Professor, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. Email: e.korosty-

shevskaya@spbu.ru

†Professor, Penza State University, Penza, Russia. Email: gamidullaeva@gmail.com

428 The American Journal of Economics and Sociology

These numbers understate the magnitude of poverty in Russia, how-

ever. Measuring poverty by those who cannot buy anything beyond

subsistence requirements, a report issued by a Kremlin research insti-

tute places the poverty rate closer to 22 percent of the population

(RANEPA 2018).

Homelessness exists because some people are unable to afford

housing. The larger the number of poor people in a society generally

translates into a larger number of people without housing. Each year,

about 1,000 homeless people die in the streets of St. Petersburg. The

number remains almost unchanged from year to year, despite several

warming centers, and a mobile and stationary shelter opened by the

city’s forces (Nochlezhka) and by Maltese Relief Service charity orga-

nizations. Some homeless people die directly from exposure (freez-

ing); others die of opportunistic illnesses brought on by the stress

of homelessness: heart attacks, strokes, or pneumonia. In Moscow,

2,674 homeless people died in 2018; there was only one metropoli-

tan warming center with several hundred places, located in Lublino

(Kurilova 2019).

The problem of homelessness arises from a number of factors, each

of which constitutes an obstacle to changing the condition.

First, there is a conflict over the source of responsibility for dealing

with homelessness. This is not only a social issue; it is also a matter

of the personal responsibility of homeless people themselves. The

state takes some responsibility, but it cannot solve the life problems

of citizens.

Second, the federal government seeks to shift most responsibility

to the regions, but the latter are in no hurry to establish effective pro-

grams. In fact, local and regional authorities do not know the number

or characteristics of the homeless people in their area. Most sub-

federal jurisdictions would prefer to avoid dealing with homelessness,

if possible.

Third, there is a conflict between the homeless and the rest of soci-

ety. Many people who live a secure existence demand that homeless

people be isolated, so that their presence does not irritate and frighten

respectable citizens. Finding ways to form partnerships across this

social division seems difficult. There is a lot of aggression towards