PrimaMedia, April 26
Far East housing crisis sparks mortgage loan limit reforms amid soaring prices
The Ministry of Construction of Primorsky Krai plans to raise the maximum loan amount under the Far Eastern and Arctic mortgage programs by 20%. This was announced by the head of the agency, Alexey Chekunkov, according to the official Telegram channel (18+) of the Primorsky Krai Ministry of Architecture and Urban Policy.
The initiative comes in response to rising housing prices in the region, which have pushed many new developments beyond the current program's price limits. Over the past five years, the average cost per square meter in new buildings in the Far East has climbed from 130,000 to 200,000 rubles. As a result, the price of a standard 40-square-meter apartment has increased from 5.2 million to 8 million rubles.
This surge has affected market dynamics: according to Rosreestr, the number of registered shared-equity agreements (DDUs) in Primorsky Krai fell by 18% in Q1 2026—down to 574 from 702 in the same period last year.
Olga Ivanikova, Deputy Chair of the Primorsky Krai government, noted that raising the loan limits is a logical step to maintain housing affordability and stimulate the construction sector. She added that authorities are considering a differentiated approach, similar to the Family Mortgage program, where higher limits are set for Moscow, Moscow Oblast, St. Petersburg, and Leningrad Oblast based on local market prices per square meter.
