Kyrgyzstan

Context at a glance

Rustam, 6, stands in front of the rundown house where he lives with his mother and brother. The roof leaks when it rains and there is a pile of foul-smelling rubbish nearby

Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest of the former Soviet Republics. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, when collective farms were dissolved and factories closed, Kyrgyzstan experienced a major population shift as people from the villages moved to the cities looking for work and a better life. The result was massive housing shortages in many areas.

Inadequate housing is a common feature of both urban and rural life in Kyrgyzstan. Many families live in dilapidated houses built decades ago that have not received any maintenance for years. In many cases, entire floors of apartment buildings share one unsanitary toilet. It is not unusual for three generations of the same family to be crowded into a single room with no bathroom or running water. Substandard housing in Kyrgyzstan provides poor protection from bitter winters and scorching summers, yet families keep living in these conditions because they cannot afford anything better.

Habitat for Humanity programme

Kyrgyzstan was the first Central Asian country to partner with Habitat for Humanity. Building began in 1999 and to date, HFH Kyrgyzstan remains the only organisation in the country that provides no-interest, long-term mortgages for homes. Traditionally, a family must pay for their home up front in one lump sum, making it impossible for most people to own their home.

The first building project was with 20 families, on an area of land donated by the local government. In 2003, due to the rising cost of house building, HFH shifted work to apartment renovation and finishing half-built homes. So far 52 families have been rehoused in renovated flats and 21 families have moved into houses.

HFH Kyrgyzstan is constantly looking into ways of lowering construction costs and reaching those in greater need. In September 2004 they started an innovative cane reed construction project.

HFH homes have between two and four rooms. The houses are made of brick, with reinforced foundations and wooden ceilings and floors. Reed houses take only three months to build. The reed is specially processed to keep away mice and insects. Both houses and apartments have running water and heating. The average monthly payment is £19 over a period of 20 years for a house and £33 over a period of 10 years for an apartment.

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