International scientific and practical conference “Housing as a factor of social citizens’ prosperity” within the framework of the UNESCO-UNEVOC Center took place on December 17, 2014, which brought together a wide range of participants — managers and employees of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the Republic Bashkortostan, the Agency for Press and mass media of Bashkortostan, the Administration of Ufa city, Trade unions of Bashkortostan Federation, NPO “Center of public control in the sphere of housing and communal services of the Republic Bashkortostan”, management companies, and educational institutions. 

The geography of participants is wide enough: Moscow, Anzhero-Sudzhensk, Donetsk, Makeyevka, Kemerovo, Ivanovo, Ufa, Baymak, Blagoveshchensk, Neftekamsk, Tuymazy, etc. Representatives of the Donbas National Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture: M.F. Ivanov, head of the department “Management”, and L.V. Bezzubko, Doctor of science in Public Admi­nistration, Professor of department “Manage­ment” (Ukraine) took part on-line.

The conference discussed issues of information providing of functioning transparency of housing and communal services organizations, legal and economic aspects of housing and communal services in modern conditions, social technologies citizens self-organization in the sphere of housing and communal services; trade union activities in defense of the corporate interests of the population and workers in the industry.

The plenary session was very busy. T.A. Nigmatullina began it. In her speech, she introduced the conference participants with the teachers and students’ work for housing reform promotion: it is training employees of housing and communal services, the implementation of the project “Youth resource — the reform of housing and communal services”, won 1st place in the All-Russian competition “My country — my Russia” and became a finalist of the youth forum on Lake Seliger, and the creation of “Housing-technology” the Agency with permanent laboratory, where trends of energy saving technologies and equipment are showed, and work with community supervisors as part of the third generation University, and the involvement of members children’s public legal Chamber to fulfill the social mission of every citizen — they examined the state of children’s sports grounds and prepared an analytical report on the results of their work, and many other things.
At the plenary session E.A. Rodina, the deputy of the State Assembly — Kurultai of the Republic Bashkortostan, Chairman of GSK RB on housing policy and infrastructure development made a report on “Legislative support of housing and communal services reforms”.

Y.E. Kislitsin, first deputy minister of housing and communal economy of Republic Bash­kortostan highlighted activities of the authorities for the effective functioning of housing and communal services sector.

S.S. Khusainov, the first deputy head of the administration of Ufa, and A.A. Fedosov, head of the Office of life Administration of Ufa presented issues of development economy and the interaction with the citizens of Ufa city. M.A. Gazizov Candidate of Political Science, Deputy Head of the Agency for Press and Mass Media of the Republic of Bashkortostan, and A.G. Almukhametov, deputy director of the Shopping centre “Bashkortostan”, shared media experience, and identified problems in conducting educational and awareness-raising works about the rights and duties of every citizen.

E.V. Agitaev, head of the Central Committee of the life support of Trade Unions (Moscow), he dedicated his message to social partnership in the sphere of housing and communal services.
The role of public control in the formation of active responsible owners of housing was the subject of A.N. Dubrovsky’s presentation, head of the regional center of social control of the Republic Bashkortostan.

With special attention participants of the conference listened to Ukrainian colleagues’ speeches, who, despite the difficult situation in the country, continue to work actively and conduct research developments, including the housing and communal services issues.

The conference continued on sections: “The formation of a socially responsible owner in the field of housing: the technology of self-organization and transparency information” and “Legal and economic aspects of housing and communal services. Trade unions in the protection of corporate utilities workers’ interests”. The discussions were stormy, but as you know, the truth is born in dispute.