Having Exposed Underhand Dealing Of Housing Repairs and Utilities Association, Activist Forced Authorities To Back Down

Siarhei Drazdouski has asserted his right to a hostel.

Last week it was reported that Siarhei Drazdouski, the head of the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, was being illegally evicted from the hostel in which he had been living for 20 years.

On Monday, September 18, Yury Trushchanka, the head of the administration of Savetski district, where the hostel is located, commented on the situation to the Minsk-news agency:

"There are issues, which are not fully regulated by the current legislation, and, accordingly, there are no direct rules for making certain decisions. So it happened in that situation.

The houseroom was formally allocated to Drazdouski’s mother, and he lived with her as a member of the family. The woman canceled registration this year and moved out of the hostel, and the question about the legality of her son's residence arose.

To conclude an agreement with the new tenant, the Housing Repairs and Utilities Association asked Siarhei Drazdouski to provide a number of documents. Not having received them, the housing association filed a lawsuit in court.

However, getting onto the complexity of the case and showing understanding of the person’s situation, the district administration decided at an extraordinary meeting to allow Drazdouski living in the room. The Housing Repairs and Utilities Association was ordered to conclude an agreement with him.

Siarhei Drazdouski was included in the list of those who was in need of improved housing conditions again. His mother used to be registered with the administration, after she canceled the registration at the hostel, she was struck off the list.

Despite the fact that the mother and the son did not separate the queue at the time, the administration registered Siarhei Drazdouski as one in need of improved housing conditions," – Trushchanka said.