Housing Provision for Orphans: Problems of Social Support and Resource Opportunities

Abstract

This article deals with the problems of housing provision for orphans when they leave the boarding school. The limited opportunities for realizing the housing rights of orphans actualize the issue of the effectiveness of their social support measures in the period between leaving the orphanage and obtaining housing. The key method of collecting empirical data was a questionnaire survey of employees of guardianship and custody agencies (N=694). Housing deprivation results in problems with registration at the place of residence, and limited access to medical and social services, and employment. Every third employee of guardianship and custody agencies surveyed pointed at extreme circumstances that force orphans to actually become 'houseless' after leaving the orphanage. Despite the recognition of the acuteness of the housing problems of orphans and the long waiting period for obtaining an apartment, the staff of the guardianship and custody agencies quite positively assess the situation related to the provision of housing for graduates of residential institutions. Distortion in assessments of the real situation of housing provision for orphans can be considered as a certain limitation of the effective application of regional compensatory measures to support graduates of residential institutions in conditions of their housing deprivation. Only 11.7 % of employees of guardianship and custody agencies believe that the housing rights of orphans are violated. Among the graduates of boarding schools, the proportion of respondents who pointed out the violation of their housing rights is significantly higher – 21.5 %. Compared to the employees of guardianship and guardianship authorities, orphans are also more critical in assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of compensatory support measures (provision of temporary housing, provision of counseling assistance).