The Presidium of the Leningrad Soviet yesterday published a compulsory resolution stipulating that all vacated living space (rooms, apartments, etc.) must be transferred to the housing department to be placed at the disposition of the newly organized district housing bureaus. This resolution applies both to buildings of the Communal Housing Trust and to the properties of the House Tenants Cooperative Association, all of whose members and their families are provided living space of not less than 7m² per capita.

Tenants who voluntarily vacate entire rooms have the right to settle in them, at their own discretion, persons from among the productively employed, on the condition that the new occupants of these rooms present certification that they have surrendered their former rooms to the District Housing Bureau. Voluntary intraroom consolidation is permitted only if the excess space exceeds 4.5 m² per new resident.

The entire floor space placed at the disposition of the District Housing Bureaus will be distributed by them with priority to high-need industrial and transport workers, discharged Red Army soldiers, and persons evacuated from buildings posing a threat to public safety.

An end will be put to the numerous litigations that have arisen between tenants and housing departments due to a lack of clear guidelines as to which party is to bear the expense of apartment reconfiguration in the process of consolidation. The Presidium of the Leningrad Soviet yesterday approved a policy stating that the Regional Housing Administration will assume all expenses connected with apartment reconfiguration, but the entire space thereby obtained will be distributed through the District Housing Bureau as well.

Translated by Charles Rougle