The Russian government has broadened the scope of eligibility for participation in housing construction cooperatives to include veterans of the special military operation in Ukraine and border regions of Russia. A decree formalizing this change was published on the government website on June 11.

This addition makes veterans of the conflict in Ukraine, as well as those who defended Russian border regions, eligible to join housing construction cooperatives. These individuals must have received veteran status to qualify.

The decree adds a twelfth category to the list of citizens who can be admitted to housing construction cooperatives. Previously, the list comprised 11 categories, including employees of federal state unitary enterprises, young scientists, employees of state scientific centers and educational organizations, large families, defense industry employees, internal affairs bodies employees, federal state civil servants, employees of organizations applying to a single housing development institution, and employees of the National Guard with special police ranks.

Housing construction cooperatives represent a way for citizens to participate in housing construction. Members pool share contributions to finance the construction of a building. This allows cooperative members to directly engage with contractors, monitor construction progress, and manage expenditures. This approach often results in lower apartment costs compared to market prices because it eliminates the need for bank intermediaries.