3,450 people registered in one apartment: Deputy PM on ‘rubber’ housing in Astana
Tengrinews.kz - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin spoke about so-called "rubber apartments" in Astana, where a large number of people are illegally registered.
According to him, authorities intend to limit the number of people who can be registered at a single residential address after cases of mass fraudulent registration were uncovered.
"Astana is such a large city that, of course, the police, immigration services, and local authorities do not have the resources to check every address. A colleague just showed me some data. I previously mentioned an address where 800 people were registered. But it turns out that a recent case revealed an address with 3,450 registered residents. Can you imagine? That is impossible. So, this issue needs a systematic solution," Zhumangarin emphasized.
He pointed out that this problem primarily affects low-wage workers, for whom fraudulent registration becomes the only way to be officially recognized as city residents.
"The best way—but not one that is available to everyone—is to move, buy a plot of land, build a house, and become a resident of Astana. If you have an in-demand profession, you can move here without any issues—no problems with registration or employment. This mainly concerns those engaged in low-paying jobs. (…) We cannot take away their right to these opportunities, as the Constitution guarantees everyone the freedom to choose their place of residence. We are simply limiting the number of people who can be registered at a single address. This is an entirely different issue—it’s a global practice," Zhumangarin noted.
Earlier, it was reported that Astana would introduce a limit on the number of residents per apartment. Relevant legislative amendments are currently being reviewed by Mazhilis deputies. According to the deputy prime minister, Kazakhstan’s population is increasingly gravitating toward large cities, leading to the problem of "rubber apartments."