Once you get this rolling you can improve your situation every few years.
The problem with "the projects" is that undesirable people get to live there practically for free. But that is not the case in Russia or China. Everybody lives in some sort of high-rises and has a middle class life.
But, you can also absolutely have a kid there as well.
Otherwise, people would love to be able to afford a house or at least a townhouse, but modern economy gets in the way of that wish, especially from scratch.