The Armenian government has revised a controversial housing assistance program for tens of thousands of refugees from Artsakh after struggling to generate strong interest in the initiative.
Launched last summer, the five-year program offers financial aid to refugees willing to purchase or build homes, primarily in rural areas. The program prioritizes families with at least three children, a disabled member, or those who lost a loved one in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Eligible refugees can receive government grants ranging from 2 million to 5 million drams ($5,000-$13,000) strictly for housing purposes.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan promoted the program last May, and Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan estimated that up to 800 billion drams (over $2 billion) could be allocated to it by 2029. However, many refugees have dismissed the aid as insufficient to secure even modest housing.
Gayane Gharagyozyan, a senior official at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, acknowledged on Tuesday that only 633 of the more than 100,000 Artsakh Armenians who fled to Armenia in September 2023 have applied for and qualified for the assistance. She admitted that this number falls far short of government expectations.
In response to the program’s lackluster reception, the government introduced modifications last week, expanding the number of eligible towns and villages by 300.
However, Liana Petrosyan, an exiled Artsakh activist focused on refugee housing issues, remains skeptical. She argued that the changes do not significantly improve the program’s accessibility or effectiveness.
“Only a small portion of the proposals made by displaced people have been accepted by the government,” Petrosyan said. She emphasized that the government’s failure to increase per-capita housing aid is a major shortcoming and noted that many refugees who receive grants struggle to secure mortgage loans from local banks.
Zhora Hayrapetyan, a young refugee living in Goris with his mother and disabled grandmother, said his family qualifies for up to 15 million drams (about $38,000) in total housing aid. However, he believes the amount is still too low, even for the local market. According to Hayrapetyan, few refugees he knows have applied for the program.
Since November 2023, the Armenian government has provided monthly stipends of 50,000 drams ($125) for rent and utilities to refugees without homes or government shelter. However, in late 2023, officials announced plans to gradually phase out this assistance, which has been a critical lifeline for many Artsakh Armenians.
