Yamal expands eligibility for young families' housing grants

Teachers and medical workers who moved to Yamal from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova or Ukraine and obtained Russian citizenship through a simplified procedure can now qualify for a housing grant without proving 20 years of residence in Russia, the regional government said.

The newly exempt group must have worked in education or healthcare in Yamal for more than five years. People born in Russia are also exempt from documenting the residence period.

The rules were changed after Viktor and Elizaveta Nikiforov of Noyabrsk raised the issue with Governor Dmitry Artyukhov during his Chestny Marshrut tour. The teachers moved from Kazakhstan and became parents this year. The previous residence requirement prevented them from qualifying.

The programme began on January 1, 2025. It provides 3 million rubles if the mother was under 30 when her child was born, and 1.5 million rubles for older mothers under 35. The amount doubles for twins or other multiple births. The government said 594 families had received support.

Families previously refused because of the residence requirement can apply again by March 1, 2027, regional construction and housing policy official Natalya Kolobova said.