Housing solutions in Kyrgyzstan

Finishing half-built houses

After the fall of the Soviet Union government funding for housing and families dropped dramatically. This meant that many families that had begun building their own homes had to stop, as a result there are incomplete house across Kyrgyzstan. Habitat for humanity has been assisting in the completion of these houses, it can include building more walls, adding roofs or ceilings and putting in doors or windows. This style of renovation is occurring in the suburbs of Bishkek, Barskoon and Kochkor. The renovations are paid back over an average of three to five years with a monthly payment of around US$40. The construction also includes adding water and sanitation facilities, heating and insulation.

Refurbishment and renovation

Renovation includes plastering walls. Painting and putting up wall paper. It also includes protecting building against the harsh winters by adding new windows, insulation and efficient heating.

Renovations of houses have also included the addition of one or more rooms to prevent overcrowding and unsafe conditions.

The renovations are highly successful as the cost of houses and building materials has risen in Kyrgyzstan, by renovating privately owned homes with locally sourced materials Habitat for Humanity has created an affordable solution to the housing crisis.

One of the most successful types of renovation has been the restoration of old Soviet style apartment blocks. By adding new roofs, windows and insulation to one building block hundreds of families can be helped at once. For example, the reconstruction of three apartment blocks in 2007 provided 257 families with a nicer, safer place to live.

Renovating apartment blocks

Cane Reed housing

Cane Reed housing - 19th century idea, 21st century solution.

Cane Reed housing successfully won the World Bank Award in 2006 for its innovative design. The houses are affordable due to the use of locally sourced materials and environmentally friendly thanks to there insulation and under floor heating systems.

The construction process:The first steps to constructing a Cane Reed house is locate the Cane Reed and then cutting it down and leaving it to dry out in the sun.

Whilst the Cane Reed is drying out work can begin on the framework for the foundations. The framework in made using wood, this is then filled with cement to form the base of the house. Once the first layer of cement has dried the rest of the floor is created out of layers of cement, gravel and cane.

Between the layers that form the floor of the house the coiled circuit under floor heating system is installed.

The heating system is sandwiched between the reed and the clay and the final layer of concrete.

Under floor heating system

Finishing the house

What makes a Cane Reed house environmentally friendly house?•The use of water and electricity to heat the house reduces both the cost of the heating bills for the family but also the amount of fossil fuels used by the community. A major problem in Kyrgyzstan at the moment is that the amount of coal and gas used by the population exceeds the amount generated by the country, this creates a dependency of foreign imports. The coiled heating system used in the Cane Reed houses are more efficient, reduces dependence on imported fuel and reduces the pollution created by burning fossil fuels.

•Using locally sourced materials reduces the costs spent on transportation.

•Using the cane reed is more sustainable than using wood as growing and harvesting cane reed is easier and is more environmentally sustainable than deforestation.