Housing construction in Russia: investment climate and administrative burden

The author examines the problem of high administrative barriers in the Russian housing construction sector that leads to pure investment opportunities of the Russian cities and low housing affordability due to high prices for housing. The author reviews the results of the last surveys devoted to assessment of administrative barriers in the Russian cities and that of transparency of all the organizations and agencies which issue compulsory permissions and agreements. The article includes the author’s recommendations on decreasing the administrative burden in the Russian housing construction.