Introduction. International legal standards of the rights of the child bind states at the domestic level to ensure that all rights of the child are respected for the purposes of their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. Orphans and children without parental care are also endowed with special rights designed to promote the best interests of the child. Theoretical analysis. The current Russian legislation sets forth additional guarantees included in the content of the legal status of children in need of special attention. These include the right to education, the right to medical care, the right to property and housing, the right to work, and the right to judicial protection. Empirical analysis. The right to housing, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, is realized through a single provision by the executive authority of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation of a well-furnished specialized housing stock under a contract for the rental of specialized residential premises. At present, both judicial practice and the activities of law enforcement agencies emphasize the relevance of the issue under study, due to the presence of significant gaps in the current legislation that impede the implementation of the housing guarantee in full. Results. The main reason for the state’s failure to fulfill the obligation to provide housing for orphans and children without parental care, as exemplified by Saratov Region, is the lack of adequate funding that requires a fundamental reform in the field under study: assignment of authority to provide housing for orphans and children without parental care to the competence of the Russian Federation.