Development of Public Policy in the Regions (DPPR)
The organizational and research project "Through the Community to Shared Comfort" is implemented by the public organization Consortium of Intellectual Service "Leon-Analytic" in Lutsk with the support of "Freedom House – Ukraine"
Project Description
| description of the problem the project is aimed at solving | The "ZHEKs" created back in Soviet times, now – ZhKPs, have long ceased to meet either the requirements of the times, or the requirements of consumers, or the socio-economic conditions of today. In addition, public formations aimed at ensuring the protection of the rights of consumers of housing and communal services, such as building committees or homeowners' associations, are very often artificial, unprofessional formations and do not perform their functions. Another cross-section or aspect of this problem is the lack of regulatory and methodological support for the activity of business structures in the housing services market, and hence – the unpreparedness of such business structures to work in this market. Therefore, the following problems should be highlighted: 1. Poor quality of housing services due to the monopolization of this market segment, as well as unregulated liability of service providers to consumers; 2. Passivity and unprofessionalism of public associations of homeowners; 3. Imperfect regulatory framework at the local level regarding the provision of a competitive and active business environment in the sphere of housing services provision; 4. Unpreparedness of business structures to work in the housing services market. |
| description of goals and objectives | The goal of the proposed project is to introduce a model for reforming the sphere of housing services provision by establishing intersectoral interaction – "public-authority-business" in order to protect the rights of consumers of housing services by means of creating a competitive and normatively regulated market for such services. To achieve the set goal, the following tasks are envisaged within the framework of this project: - research of problems in the sphere of housing services from the perspective of all participants of the housing services market; - analysis of the main problems of functioning of public associations of homeowners and business structures that provide/will provide housing services; - formation of public opinion regarding solidarity responsibility and the need for public initiatives in the sphere of operation of the housing stock, multi-apartment dwellings; - preparation of the activists of building committees and other public associations of homeowners for professional activity in defending the rights of consumers of housing services; - development (with the help of project participants) of a complex of systematized local legal framework for optimizing the functioning of the housing services market; - lobbying and implementation of the local regulatory framework that will ensure the functioning of the housing services market; - preparation of the management of business structures – participants of the housing services market for work in new conditions; - promoting the formation of a system of qualitatively new housing services that will be provided under conditions of clear delineation of responsibilities of housing services market participants, a normatively regulated market of the latter and competition; - strengthening ties between public organizations and think tanks in the sphere of municipal governance; - dissemination of the acquired experience among public organizations and local self-government bodies of other territories. |
| description of measures carried out within the framework of the project | Before the start of the project implementation, a large-scale public opinion survey of Lutsk residents regarding problems in the field of housing services provision is planned. Within the framework of the project, the following is envisaged: 1. conducting monitoring and analysis of the local regulatory framework that ensures the provision of housing services; 2. Conducting round tables with the participation of interested representatives of government, business, public associations in order to identify problem situations and discuss drafts of local regulatory documents regarding the regulation of the housing services market; 3. Based on the results of the round table and on the basis of known best practices – development of the necessary drafts of local regulatory acts; 4. Conducting an information campaign (press conferences, TV segments, publications, etc.) regarding the specifics of the new regulatory support and economic characteristics of this market with the aim of disseminating the ideas of solidarity responsibility for the condition of residential buildings, opportunities for solving the problem by forming a competitive housing services market, etc.; 5. Formation of a database of existing building committees and other public associations of homeowners; 6. Providing consultations in the "hotline" mode to the activists of building committees, the management of business structures that will work in the housing services market, and citizen consumers; 7. Preparation and holding of a series of consultative meetings with the activists of public associations of homeowners and the management of interested business structures regarding the regulatory and legal foundations of the functioning of the housing services market; 8. Preparation of a complex of systematized information regarding the functioning of homeowners' associations, optimization of their cooperation with local self-government bodies and enterprises providing housing and communal services; 9. Providing methodological and organizational support in the creation of a coordinating body at the city-wide level among building committees for the joint protection of the rights of consumers of housing services on the basis of further self-financing; 10. Lobbying for the adoption of local regulatory documents regarding the optimization of the functioning of housing services market participants and their users, expansion of their rights, powers and delineation of responsibility. |
| expected long-term results of the project (i.e., specific positive changes that will arise due to its implementation) and beneficiaries who will be able to take advantage of these results | The expected results of the project implementation will be: |
| Content of work |
| holding a press conference to inform the public about the implementation of this project in the city |
| preparation of the technical base of the "hotline" |
| establishing functional contacts with representatives of local authorities, heads of housing and communal enterprises |
| study of public opinion regarding the quality and specifics of housing and communal services provision, analysis of results, preparation of information and recommendation products |
| analysis of the regulatory framework, market analysis by economic and marketing characteristics |
| professional analysis of local regulatory documents regulating the housing services market |
| organization and holding of a round table for the purpose of discussing local regulatory documents that will regulate the housing services market |
| preparation of drafts of regulatory documents and/or changes and additions to them |
| lobbying and adoption of documents |
| information campaign regarding the specifics of regulatory support and economic characteristics of the housing services market |
| providing legal and marketing consultations to entrepreneurial structures – market participants |
| providing consultations to public associations of homeowners regarding opportunities for interaction with service providers, consumer rights, mutual responsibility of consumers and service providers |
| formation and updating of the database on existing building committees and other public associations of homeowners |
| initiation and methodological assistance in creating a coordinating body of building committees, associations of co-owners, development of functioning mechanisms |
| preparation and holding of a series of consultative meetings regarding the regulatory and legal foundations of the functioning of the housing services market |
| analysis of results, monitoring of the effectiveness of project implementation, analysis of errors, preparation of analytical and recommendation literature, other products |
| dissemination of experience in other cities of Ukraine |