Housing for the military in Russia and in the world: why we should be ashamed of the "barracks" with the curtains"

The cadres were supposed to demonstrate how good the military people are living in Russia.

Everything looked like this until they recklessly showed the houses outside: modular metal structures suspiciously similar to those installed on construction sites for labor migrants.

Novye Izvestia decided to figure out what general servicemen in Russia have the opportunity to solve the housing problem. And at the same time we looked at how all this worked for potential “enemies” in the west. We pay special attention to family people: single soldiers often live in similar conditions of dormitories (unless somewhere else they are more comfortable). But when a family and children appear, the differences are enormous.

How do the military live in Russia

According to the law, all contract servicemen are supposed to have a living space of 18 sq.m. per family member. And nowhere is it indicated how the house should be. Therefore, a metal trailer, 1 square. m. of which there are about 8 thousand rubles on the market (without taking into account the foundation, communications and filling with household appliances and furniture), it is quite suitable if there is sufficient space in it (for a family of 3 people - 54 sq.m.). But if there is no suitable housing, then with the consent of the serviceman the army has the right to provide an apartment of a smaller area. Awkward moments can occur after the birth of the baby. The fact of replenishment of the family does not lead to a change of apartment to a more spacious one. To improve the conditions, it is necessary that the area of housing per one person becomes less than the accounting norm set by regional authorities. In the Moscow region, for example, it is 13 sq.m. Therefore, a young family of 3 people may end up in a 40-meter trailer and not make a claim to anyone. But in any case, the servicemen do not receive any rights to the official apartment. Therefore, if they are dismissed or transferred to the service in another place, they are obliged to vacate the apartment or room within 3 months.

Military personnel also have the opportunity to acquire their own permanent housing. Since 2005, there are two main programs : Lump-sum cash payment for the purchase or construction of housing (EDV) and the Accumulative-mortgage system. A one-time subsidy is available to those who entered into a contract before January 1, 1998, were dismissed after 10 years of service, and the families of the victims. The average payout amount is 6.2 million rubles. If a military mortgage is chosen, then the state transfers 280 thousand (23.3 thousand per month) to a special account every year. After 3 years, these funds can be used as a down payment on a mortgage. And while the service is in progress, the army pays the loan. But the state pays housing only at the rate of 18 sq.m. per person.

Now let's see how the family members of the military live in the leading Western countries. Do they have the right to free housing and do they also have to huddle in the wagons?

Military housing in Germany

In Germany, family employees are housed in full-fledged apartments, but they will have to pay 100-130 euros per month, including a communal apartment. Or a military man can rent an apartment or a house on his own, then the army will monthly compensate 650 euros. After discharge to the reserve, the right to rent office housing at the established rates is retained. Particularly reverent in Germany are families with children, creating all the conditions for them. Until last year, the army in Germany was ruled by Ursula von der Leyen, who, until her appointment, headed the social block. Now the main rule: military service is the same job as any other. Therefore, no one forces you to live in a garrison, you can go to the service with children (there are special children's rooms), or you can even work remotely from home to spend more time with your family.

Living conditions for the military in the USA

The Americans traditionally have everything on a much larger scale. The norm for the family is a spacious separate house in a military town, in which each child will have his own separate room. You can visually evaluate the difference by watching the video posted on the website of the Ministry of Defense.

Private videos also confirm: living in a service house is a reality.

However, there is an option to live in a rented house or apartment. Then the army compensates for 95% of the costs. Until 2015, they compensated for all 100%, but then the authorities decided to deal with excess costs and reduced payments to an average of 95%. The specific amount depends on many parameters - rank, length of service, education, high cost of living in a particular place (in the city the surcharge will be more than in rural areas).

Payments for housing are an integral and significant part of monetary allowance. Even an ordinary without education and family in the second year of service can count on a minimum of payments of up to 13.7 thousand dollars a year for housing. A lieutenant colonel (an analogue of our lieutenant colonel) with 10 years of service, spent in college for 4 years and children can already count on payments for housing up to 40 thousand dollars and a total income of up to 121 thousand dollars a year (more than 700 thousand rubles per month).

Therefore, it is not surprising that military personnel in the United States do not seek to acquire their own housing, even on the basis of their preferential preferential mortgage with subsidies. As a result, only 27.3% of the military have their own housing. The rest are satisfied with the service.

UK Military Housing

On foggy Albina, you won’t get free housing from the army. But you won’t be left without a roof over your head: the armed forces offer rental housing at fixed and very attractive rates. Attractive by local standards, of course. So, renting a house from the Ministry of Defense will cost 250 - 450 pounds per month. For 450 pounds (36.5 thousand rubles) you can get a separate high-standard house with 4 bedrooms. If the Ministry of Defense does not have enough houses, then you have to rent on the free market. But for a soldier, the rates do not change - the army will pay the difference. The main thing is that these expenses do not hit the family budget. Cash allowance allows you to rent a house without any problems. For example, the salary of a major is 53 - 63 thousand pounds per year (about 5 million rubles). Even an ordinary person can count on a stable income of 20-30 thousand pounds.

Essex Military Homes

Military Homes Near Portsmouth

Homes for military with families in the Moscow region

In Russia, if you serve for a very long time, then thanks to the military mortgage you can retire with your own small apartment - this has some advantages compared to other countries. But with regard to housing standards, the metal cabins assembled in a stack can not be compared with individual houses and apartments according to strict German standards. Such cabins are a good option for organizing accommodation at a temporary military base. But, firstly, we all know perfectly well that there is nothing more permanent than temporary. Khrushchev was also once a temporary option, designed for 25 years. Already 60 have passed. At first, such “temporary huts” appear, and then they turn into dubious ghettos - such a fate befell more than one military town. And secondly, this is the area of the inhabited village of Kalininets, and not a base in Syria, where for objective reasons it is impossible to build full-fledged houses.

Independently pay the rent of a suitable apartment or a mortgage in excess of the prescribed 18 sq.m. for military personnel in Russia it is not easy - even a major can count on a salary of 70 thousand rubles a month at best. And you still have to get to him. They wanted the best, but it turned out... If there was a task to show how well the military is living, then it would be better not to show these houses. Housing did not succeed in demonstrating strength and power - you will have to pay twice as much attention to the parade in honor of the 75th anniversary of the victory, which may take place in June.