PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS OF GYUMRI DEMAND TO SPEED UP SOLUTION OF PROBLEM OF PROVIDING HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH APARTMENTS
Noyan Tapan
Nov 29, 2007
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The participants of the public
discussion, convened by a number of public organizations on November
27 at the journalists’ club "Asparez", decided to send a message
to the authorities of the country till the 19th anniversary of the
December 7, 1988 earthquake, with which they will demand to implement
capital construction in the earthquake zone and to provide the homeless
people with apartments by 2-3-year allocations of the state budget. The
message will include suggestions on stimulating the business with tax,
customs and bank privileges in the earthquake zone as well as working
out prospective state program of development of Shirak.
According to data of "Asparez", Anushavan Papikian, the Head of
Department of Registration and Distribution of Apartments of the
Gyumri Mayor’s Office, said during the discussion that 3972 homeless
families are registered in the city as of November 27, 2007. According
to Albert Margarian, Head of Urban Development Department of the
Shirak Regional Administration, due to program of Certificates of
Purchasing Apartments (CPA) implemented 4-5 years ago by the Urban
Institute and with the funds of the USAID, 4091 homeless families
bought apartments in the city of Gyumri, and 4838 families in the
whole region. Within the framework of the CPA program implemented
with the funds of the 2006 state budget, 240 homeless families or
73% of those registered in the program bought apartments. During
11 months of 2007, 389 families applied to regional administration
for using the CPA program, 193 ones out of which have already bought
apartments. A. Margarian mentioned that the nominal prices of CPA are
reconsidered once every three months according to the data given by
the State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre.
According to the discussion participants, the funds given by the CPA
are always smaller that the market prices of apartments. It comes that
the purchaser-homeless people are obliged to add money for buying an
apartment, and very often, just the former homeless people who bought
apartments, not having enough means for living, sell their apartments,
then emigrate or return to cottages.
According to A. Margarian, 815 million drams (nearly 2.7 million USD)
from the means of the 2008 state budget is envisaged for the CPA
program, 100 million drams out of which for the homeless families
of Spitak.
In the opinion of most of the participants of the discussion, the
solution of the problem of providing the homeless people of Gyumri
with apartments through the CPA program is not realistic as 10-15
years will be needed for providing 3972 families with apartments
with the current rates. It was suggested to end the construction of
unfinished buildings remaining still from the USSR times, to involve
the means of international grant and the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.