Readiness of apartment building residents for hot water supply modernization in Ukraine

Abstract

Kudinov I. О., Serheieva K. М., Klymenko A. О.Readiness of apartment building residents for hot watersupply modernization in Ukraine. – Article.Features of social and institutional readiness of residentsof apartment buildings (condominiums) for reforms ofcentralized hot water supply in Ukraine are analyzed.The paper represents results of social survey research ofresidents of apartment buildings in Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine).The methodological basis of the research is generallyscientific and special sociological methods of scientificcognition. The research determines socio-demographic andinstitutional characteristics of centralized hot water supplyservices consumers in Zaporizhzhia, the level of interest inthe preservation and modernization of centralized hot watersupply system in the city, the level of readiness of apartmentbuilding residents for collective responsibility for theconsumption of hot water supply services and strategies formodernization of the centralized hot water supply system.Research results identified possible ways to increaseapartment building residents’ readiness for modernization:1) development of the subjectivity of the apartmentbuilding residents, because it is impossible to solve commonproblems of such buildings in case of unity absence of theirinhabitants; 2) increasing the level of social interactionbetween the community and local authorities; 3) developinstitute of social organizers (social technicians). Researchresults suggest that condominium residents of Zaporizhzhiashow a very low level of awareness in the field of housinglegislation and the condition of their own buildings and thefact that every such resident understands the feasibility andneed to modernize the existing hot water supply system.The main obstacle to the modernization of hot water supplysystems is the need to attract large financial resources.The second – is the unwillingness of apartment buildingresidents to cooperate. One of the ways to solve the problemis to provide a quality information campaign to raise publicawareness of: financial capabilities for apartment buildings;better practices of project activities of OSBB buildings.