"In Our Way" Movement:  Housing Program for internally displaced  persons from Artsakh completely failed

ArmInfo.  The housing program for internally displaced persons from Artsakh has completely failed. Arega Hovsepyan, a member of the "In Our Way" movement, wrote on her Facebook page.

According to her, out of 30,000 families, only 1,200 have used their  housing certificates to date, or only 4%, while the program has been  in operation for a year and a half.

 Hovsepyan noted that several days ago, RA Minister of Labor and  Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan spoke about a megaproject - a state  support program for housing provision for Artsakh residents. He noted  that the total cost of the program is estimated at approximately 800  billion drams, and that the program is being successfully  implemented. "Now let's figure out how successful it is. Firstly, the  program is being implemented with zero inclusivity. Government  representatives constantly claim to be holding meetings with the  Artsakh side, but no one knows who they are. The rare meetings with  representatives of Artsakh agencies were completely formal, and the  overwhelming majority of our proposals were rejected.  Moreover, the  government's decision was made in clear violation of the law: there  were no public discussions that could have given the residents of  Artsakh the opportunity to raise their voice, even in this format.  The terms of this program are such that Artsakh residents can  purchase housing primarily on the secondary market, which contributes  to an artificial and sharp increase in prices on the secondary  market.

In fact, the owners of these apartments, when selling their homes,  are trying to move to Yerevan,  resulting in growing urbanization. Of  course, there is also a worst-case scenario, where people simply  emigrate with some money in their pockets.

Even based on the figures presented by Arsen  Torosyan,, one can  conclude that the program is a complete failure. It is evident that  if the program truly helped Artsakh residents acquire housing while  remaining in their native Armenia, the number of those using the  certificate would be much higher. Moreover, this program, for which  enormous sums of money are allocated, creates no added value for the  country's economy and does not facilitate the stay of Artsakh  residents in Armenia," the member of the "In Our Way" movement noted.