"THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OUR ENEMY, IS IT?"

A1+
[02:32 pm] 11 February, 2009

Residents of Gyumri’s Hanesoghlyan Street live in constant fear lest
the shaky walls and roofs of their flats may fall down on them.

The walls started falling down since 2004. Today ten out of twenty
families have moved to another neighbourhood. The other ten have
nowhere to go. The houses are in bad need of repairs.

The city authorities are well aware of the problem. The city hall has
instructed to study the site thoroughly. Specialists of local seismic
service say the building should be evacuated as the conditions are
life-threatening.

"People should be moved out. You cannot put their lives at stake and
promise to tackle the issue as soon as possible," says the head of
the Department of Housing and Urban Development Hrayr Karapetyan.

Three years ago the city hall registered dilapidated buildings in
the city, all except this one. Hrayr Karapetyan is surprised why the
committee didn’t involve the homes at 8 Hanesoghlyan on the list. Then
he adds that most rundown houses are on main streets.

Karapetyan sees two solutions to the problem. First, the inhabitants
of the disputed building should be recognised as homeless and given
shelters. Then the building can be given a benefactor to start a
business and fill the city budget. Second, the ten families can write
a letter to the government, more precisely to the prime minister,
depicting their hopeless state. "The government will likely help
them. The government is not our enemy and it will realise the
inhabitants’ grave state."

Nevertheless, the families think that their voice will hardly be made
audible, and it will take the officials long to address the issue.

Tsayg TV, Gyumri