The Artsakh Union prepared and published a report and recommendations regarding the RA government's housing program for forcibly displaced Artsakh citizens, and the Artsakh People's Needs Initiative, consisting of about 40 non-governmental organizations, expressed support for the document.
The report contains the 2024 analysis of the main principles of the program adopted on May 16, a brief description of the current situation and proposals for significantly improving the current program, with appropriate justifications and appendices.
As a result of the analysis of the project, a number of problems and challenges were highlighted, which hinder its effective implementation. These problems can be classified into several main groups, namely
1. Low applicability. As of the beginning of October, about 30 families have applied for the Program and received a certificate, which is only 0.12% of the total target group. This low score indicates a problem with the program's availability or terms.
2. Financial obstacles. The current program does not take into account the real picture of market prices of apartments. Especially in Yerevan and other cities, the amount of support offered is not enough to ensure decent housing conditions, and the conditions for building a residential house mainly do not even meet the minimum values of the projects approved by the state authorized body.
3. Legal obstacles. Some requirements of the program, for example, the requirement of RA citizenship at the time of application, hinder the participation of beneficiaries, and a number of other provisions cause violations of the rights of different groups of people, which sometimes even contradict the RA Constitution.
4. Ignoring groups with special needs. The current program does not sufficiently take into account the needs of groups with special needs, such as persons with disabilities and families of fallen servicemen.
5. Problems related to lending. Many beneficiaries have difficulty obtaining additional mortgage loans, especially if they have previous credit obligations and, mostly for reasons beyond their control, have problems with their credit history.
For the systematic and fundamental solution of the above and a number of other problems, the document offers reasonable and effective solutions, while presenting factual and legal justifications for them.
The Artsakh Union and the initiative to provide for the needs of the Artsakh people expect that the RA government will take into account these proposals, as well as quickly start real and effective public discussions for the fundamental improvement of the program.
The report can be found hereby reference:
