GYUMRI HAS 3972 HOMELESS FAMILIES 19 YEARS AFTER THE DISASTER
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 28 2007
On November 27 several NGOs of Gyumri held a discussion at the Hall of
Freedom of Speech at the Asparez Club of Journalists which aimed to put
an end to uncertainty and controversies over the number of homeless
families in Gyumri. The representatives of the City Hall, the head
of the department of urban planning of the regional administration
of Shirak, heads of NGOs and reporters had been invited.
Anushavan Papikyan, a senior official of the City Hall, said according
to the official statistics of the City Hall and corresponding
documents, there are 3972 homeless families in Gyumri as of November
27, 2007.
Then Albert Margaryan, head of the department of urban planning of
Shirak, presented the statistics of purchase of apartments through
housing certificates. According to the regional administration,
4-5 years ago 4091 homeless families bought apartments in Gyumri
through the program of certificates funded by the USAID and the Urban
Institute. In the entire region 4838 families have bought apartments
through this program. In 2006 240 families bought apartments which is
73 percent of families which responded to the call of the regional
administration. In 2007 389 families have turned to the regional
administration, 193 of which have already bought apartments. In
implementing this program the regional administration is guided by the
list of homeless families (2802) issued by the City Hall of Gyumri
on March 1, 2004. Nominal prices fixed in the program are reviewed
once a quarter.
Nevertheless, the participants of the discussion say the prices fixed
in the program are lower than the market price, therefore the buyers
have to get additional money to pay for the apartments. Often the
families which bought an apartment through this program sell it and
migrate or return to live in cottages because they have no money to
live on.
Albert Margaryan says in 2008 the government will allocate 815 million
drams for the program, of which 100 million is for the homeless
families of the town of Spitak. Most participants of the discussion
think the solution of this problem through the certificate program is
not realistic because it will take 10-15 years to provide all the 3972
families with apartments. They proposed finishing the buildings which
had been started to built in the Soviet Union, launch a grant project,
ask for assistance from Armenia Foundation, request additional funding
from the government.