#2 - RW 7268
Russians complain about housing and utilities
ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 27 July: Russia's Public Opinion Foundation has carried out a survey, revealing that 85 per cent of Russians pay for housing and utilities regularly and on time, but are dissatisfied with their poor quality. The poll covered 1,500 people.

Only 13 per cent of the respondents admitted that they had outstanding debts on utilities' payments. Most of the non-payers live in the Northwestern Federal District (20 per cent) or come from low-income families with a monthly income per head of less than R1,000.

In the meantime, less than 28 per cent of those polled seem to be satisfied with the quality of housing and utilities' services. Six per cent noted an improvement in the work of the utility workers over the last year. But the majority, 53 per cent, are openly displeased with the services that they are offered. Twenty-nine per cent think that the quality of the work of the housing and utilities sector is seriously impaired. Thus, over 58 per cent of the respondents noted that they had experienced failures in the supply of water, electricity and heating last winter. The Northwestern Federal District was at the top of the notorious list. Seventy per cent of its residents complained of accidents during the winter season, according to the Public Opinion Foundation.