The Housing Problem from the Point of View of Family Values and Preferences

The Object of the Study. Housing conditions of households.The Subject of the Study. Improving housing conditions for households.The Purpose of the Study. Identifying of problems related to improvement of housing conditions of families in Russia on the basis of analysis of databases on housing construction and housing market, as well as needs, plans and intentions of families. The Main Provisions of the Article. The problem of improvement of living conditions for many Russian families. Providing housing for low-income households engaged in social policy that includes social housing, housing waiting list and housing subsidies. The severity of the housing problem concerns a wider range of Russian households, which primarily include families with children and young people. The housing situation has had a negative impact on their image and quality of life, as well as on their reproductive systems. The housing policy for families with children is part of the demographic policy.One of the most important priorities of the state policy in the sphere of housing is the development of low-rise housing construction, which is considered as a key tool for improving the living conditions of the population, solving the problems of emergency housing, overcoming the crowding of the population in large cities. The paper shows the contradictions of the housing market in Russia. The article reveals the current negative trends of mass industrial housing construction of predominantly small-sized housing that does not meet the needs and demand for housing for Russians, especially families with children. In this regard, the positive role of the construction of individual houses is shown. Serious problems with housing improvement in Russia, especially in small towns and rural areas are revealed. Positive trends in rural areas caused by construction of individual houses are described.On the basis of sociological surveys "Complex observation of living conditions of the population" conducted by Rosstat in 2011, 2014 and 2016, the analysis of housing provision of households was made, which showed some decrease, and significant problems for families with children.The plans and intentions of Russian households to improve their living conditions are analyzed. The dynamics of Russian attitudes and territorial differences are shown. The question of what housing, where and by whom is being built is investigated. The great contribution of individual housing construction, which is largely provided by families with children, was revealed.The analysis allows to draw a conclusion about low-rise housing construction as a panacea for solving the housing problem in Russia.