Kazakh MP urges expansion of housing in rural areas

“During working trips by deputies from the Auyl faction to the regions, including rural communities, one of the issues raised most frequently is the lack of housing in villages. At meetings, residents—especially young people and young families—openly say: ‘If there were housing, we would stay in the village,’ and ‘We are forced to move to the city because there is no housing.’ This problem directly contributes to the mass outflow of youth from rural areas, labor shortages, and the socio-economic weakening of rural territories,” the deputy said.

According to him, despite the fact that the Concept for the Development of Rural Areas of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023–2027 and the Auyl - El Besigі program prioritize infrastructure development, a separate state program specifically aimed at housing construction in rural areas has yet to be established.

“If we look at positive experience within Kazakhstan, a notable example is the Kyzylorda region, which has implemented unique initiatives. After analyzing construction trends, regional authorities found that the more housing was built in cities, the higher the rate of youth migration from villages to urban areas. As a result, a decision was made to prioritize housing construction in rural settlements. Over the past three years, new homes have been built in all districts of the Kyzylorda region, with around 1,800 apartments commissioned for the first time. This year, 58.7 billion tenge has been allocated from the budget to build 3,600 apartments,” Saurykov said.

In this regard, the deputy proposed that the Government:

• develop a unified mapping solution for rural settlements, taking into account their demographic, economic, and social potential;

• create a separate state housing program focused on building homes in rural areas;

• introduce special initiatives to support young people who wish to work and build their lives in rural communities;

• allocate state housing with consideration for social categories.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Majilis has ratified the Interim Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one part, and Mongolia, on the other part.