Over 30% of housing in the Tomsk Region remains unkempt
Freshened Up Take on Tomsk's Housing Scene
May 13, RIA Tomsk. Tomsk region's housing stock stands at approximately 29 million square meters at the start of 2025, with 66.3% being well-maintained living spaces. These details come straight from the Tomskstat website [source].
As revealed, the housing stock for Tomsk region amounted to 29.3 million square meters at the beginning of 2025, marking a 1.7% growth compared to 2024. Per capita, residents of the region averaged a living space of 28.2 square meters, with 27 sqm in urban areas and 31.2 sqm in rural regions.
"Sixty-six point three percent of the housing stock's total area boasts simultaneous water, sewage (septic tank system), heating, hot water supply, gas, or floor heating systems," Tomskstat shares [source]. This statistic is significantly higher in urban areas at 82.9%, compared to a mere 30.7% in rural areas.
Total apartment count within the housing stock reaches 528,300. Two-bedroom apartments account for 36.3%, followed closely by one-bedroom apartments (29.5%), three-bedroom apartments (27.4%), four-bedroom and up (6.8%).
New Homes in Tomsk See a Price Hike Despite Sales SlumpAs of the end of 2024, 57.8% of the housing stock is in good condition, having suffered wear and tear of less than 30%. Buildings with 31-65% wear and tear account for 32.9% of the total [source].
Previously, there were proposals to amend the maintenance program by excluding multiple-unit buildings with a total wear and tear exceeding 70%. As of spring 2025, there were 657 such buildings in Tomsk region [source].
It was also mentioned that Tomsk region has a relocation program for hazardous housing from 2019-2025, which is financed in part from federal funds. According to the regional administration's press service, over 7,000 residents of the region moved into new housing between 2019 and 2024. Prosecutor of the region Sergei Lomakin shared that as of the start of 2025, approximately 13,000 people still resided in hazardous buildings [source].
Background:Russia, the region's host country, faces various socio-economic hurdles such as rising tensions and economic challenges across different regions, which might indirectly affect housing maintenance and development [1]. Concurrently, initiatives like the one undertaken by the Northern Forum aim to influence socio-economic development across member regions, which could indirectly impact local housing conditions [2][4].
For a deeper, region-specific understanding of Tomsk's housing scenario, consulting local government reports or studies specific to the area would be ideal.
[1] - Socio-economic issues across Russia: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZR2n_iG4VCSXpBxtpFGTCQxIyg6gk0Qc/view[2] - Northern Forum socio-economic development initiatives: https://www.northernforum.org/en/what-we-do/eco-social-development/[3] - Tomsk region housing data: https://tomstat.gov.ru/site/resources/1473[4] - Tomskstat: https://tomstat.gov.ru/
- In light of the recent growth in Tomsk's housing stock, one might consider investing in real estate, particularly in urban areas where the maintenance level is higher.
- The housing market in Tomsk's rural areas, however, presents a unique opportunity for interior designers, as there's a noticeable gap in the availability of modern, well-maintained homes compared to urban areas.
- Given the focus on environmental science and climate-change awareness, it's important to note that housing maintenance and development can significantly impact the environment. In this regard, the Tomsk region's administration might consider implementing environmental-science-based policies for housing upgrades.
- As the housing scenario in Tomsk evolves, local residents' lifestyle preferences are also shifting. With the rise in demand for larger living spaces, developers might want to consider constructing more four-bedroom and up apartments to cater to this growing segment.
- On the other hand, concerned citizens might want to invest their time and resources in initiatives that provide safe and healthy living conditions for those still residing in hazardous buildings, as highlighted by the relocation program in the Tomsk region.