Mayor Shames Bodaibo Residents for Rent Hikes

Mayor of Bodaibo and the Bodaibo District, Yevgeny Yumashev, shamed some residents who hiked prices for short-term apartment rentals. This came amid a serious utility emergency that left more than 1,300 people without heating and hot water. Yumashev’s statement was published on the local administration’s Telegram channel.

«Yesterday I appealed to you with a request to help with temporary housing for the most vulnerable — families with disabled children and lonely elderly people. Sadly, not a single offer came in all day. It’s bitter to realize. Especially against the backdrop that some homeowners who rent out daily accommodations sharply hiked prices in this situation,» Yumashev noted.

The mayor asked Bodaibo residents to think it over and still find a way to shelter someone in need of temporary housing. The municipal housing stock, according to Yumashev, is exhausted, so the administration is forced to settle people «even in barely habitable premises.» But even this turns out to be «catastrophically insufficient.»

Meanwhile, in the mutual aid chat that Bodaibo residents created on Telegram, some locals are still writing that they are ready to shelter those in need temporarily. People also still need a place to take a shower or wash clothes.

«Good evening, who can I do laundry and wash at? We also need drinking and utility water,» wrote Anastasia Yadryshnikova.

Meanwhile, Olga Gavrilina occasionally leaves a reminder in the chat:

«For those who need: to wash, do laundry, you can also spend the day in warmth! Write in private messages. Don’t be shy, reach out, it’s free.»

Local resident Inna asks in the chat:

«Good afternoon. Can someone rent an apartment to a woman with a child? They live on Sadovaya Street, the sewage has frozen, it’s unknown when it will be restored. Write in private messages. Payment is guaranteed.»

Problems with heating and hot water have been observed in Bodaibo for eight days. The central water supply froze, leaving more than 1,300 people without heat. Governor Igor Kobzev called the situation in the city critical, sending his first deputy Roman Kolesov and Minister of Housing Policy and Energy Anatoly Nikitin there. A state of emergency was introduced in the city on January 31.

Bodaibo residents told how they survive in their homes without heat in −40°C (−40°F) frost. Some apartments have already frozen up. Additionally, residents united and created a mutual aid chat, they bring each other food, water, and heaters. The mayor of Bodaibo asked for federal money to resettle emergency houses that fell into the emergency zone.

Bodaibo residents also began to panic over frozen sewage. Yevgeny Yumashev noted that the main task now is to provide heat to homes, and a representative of the management company advised to endure the temporary difficulties. Residents were asked not to use hot water for now to avoid disrupting restoration work. Starting February 5, all residents in the emergency zone should start receiving financial aid.

On the night of February 5, part of the heating main froze in Bodaibo, because of which houses that had been reconnected to heating were left without heat again.

All news related to the utility accident in Bodaibo, we are collecting in a separate story.