1 November, Minsk /BELTA correspondent/. In Belarus, from 1 January 2011, some conditions for registering citizens as in need of housing improvement will change, as reported to BELTA correspondent by the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of Belarus. This is stipulated by Decree No. 552, which President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed on 27 October of the current year. Thus, from 1 January 2011, young specialists (this applies not only to university graduates but also to technical school graduates) will not have to wait five years after registration to be registered as in need of housing improvement. According to Natalya Kachan, those sent to work under distribution will be registered as in need regardless of their arrival date. Also, after Decree No. 552 comes into force, the right to housing improvement will be retained for orphans and children left without parental care until the age of 23, instead of until they reach the age of 18. The Decree also provides that upon reaching 18 years of age, orphans will be provided with social housing. In addition, if they wish, they will be able to improve their housing conditions in some other way, for example, by building housing on an accelerated basis, as they will be on separate lists of those in need of housing improvement from the moment they acquire their status, or from the date of registration in need within their parents' family. At the same time, after receiving social housing, the child retains the right to the parental apartment, as they are the legal heir under the Civil Code. -E-

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