As of 02.25.2025, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has received 2,012 applications for the state housing support program for families forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.
This was reported by the ministry in response to an inquiry from Iravaban.net.
680 applications have been approved, meaning beneficiaries have received certificates, while 1,332 have been rejected because at least one family member did not meet one of the main conditions set by the program—not having Armenian citizenship or displaced person status.
Marianna Avagyan, a lawyer with the NGO Network for Protection of Rights of Artsakh Armenians, notes that the main reasons for rejection are that some family members do not want or are unable to acquire Armenian citizenship. At the same time, there is another significant problem—some individuals do not have the legal means to prove their displacement status, as no clear mechanisms have been developed for this process.
“It should also be noted that in the initial phase of the program, it was planned to develop and implement a mechanism that would allow displaced persons to prove their displacement status. However, this mechanism has not yet been implemented, resulting in numerous applications being rejected on the grounds that the applicants’ data is missing from the official lists of forcibly displaced persons or from the information provided by the operational headquarters. This creates a serious problem for those who were actually displaced but, for various reasons, were not registered in the official lists,” she says.
The ministry reports that with the certificates provided, 5 families have acquired property in Yerevan, 2 in Kotayk region (Abovyan), 2 in Syunik region (Sisian), 1 in Ararat region (Nor Kharberd), 1 in Gegharkunik region (Gavar), and 1 in Vayots Dzor region (Azatek). An additional 15 beneficiaries have utilized their certificates through the program’s 3rd component, directing the support toward repaying existing mortgage loans.
“The low interest in the housing program (only 2,012 applications) is due to several factors. First and foremost, the mandatory requirement to accept Armenian citizenship significantly limits the range of potential beneficiaries. Many people displaced from Artsakh, for various reasons, do not want or are unable to obtain Armenian citizenship, which automatically deprives them of the right to participate in the program.
The unprecedentedly low number of realized certificates (4%) is due to the significant discrepancy between the amount of financial support provided and the average market prices of residential properties. Under current market conditions, the amount of assistance provided is not sufficient to acquire residential space with proper living conditions, especially in communities where there are development prospects and labor market opportunities,” says the lawyer.
According to the lawyer, the current situation indicates that the housing program for persons displaced from Artsakh needs substantial revision and reform, taking into account the realities that have emerged, market conditions, and the real needs of displaced persons. Without such changes, the effectiveness of the program will continue to remain at a low level, and many displaced families will continue to remain without proper housing conditions.
It should be noted that from April 2025, it is proposed to provide social assistance to certain groups of forcibly displaced persons who are actually residing in the Republic of Armenia and registered by the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia—persons with 1st or 2nd group disabilities or severe or profound functional limitations, persons aged 63 and older, persons receiving benefits due to loss of a breadwinner (hereinafter referred to as persons who have lost a breadwinner), and children under 18 years of age, within which the monthly amount of social assistance for each beneficiary is envisaged to be:
1) From April 2025 to June inclusive: 40,000 drams.
2) From July 2025 to December inclusive: 30,000 drams.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs informed us that within the framework of the RA Government Decision No. 1833-L of November 21, 2024, the number of beneficiaries forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, starting from April 1, 2025, will be approximately 53,000 persons.
Hasmik Sargsyan
