Fuller Center for Housing Armenia
Yerevan 0033, Baghramyan str. 3rd lane, house 10a
Tel: (+374 10) 271 499

Contact: Gohar Palyan
Manager of Programs

17 June 2009 — Vanadzor – In the result of the fruitful partnership of
Armenian Relief and Development Association (ARDA), Vanadzor Municipality,
and Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, 16 families that had been living in
metal containers more than 20 years, moved to their new, safe and decent
homes in the Taron 3 district of Vanadzor city.
The initiator of the project is Steve Lazarian, the president of ARDA and an
American-Armenian philanthropist.

With a common goal of eliminating poverty housing in Armenia, all three
partners signed an agreement in 2008 to work together in the Vanadzor, Lori
region in north-central Armenia.

For this project, ARDA invested 50 percent of the expenses to build homes
for the 16 families, while the municipality invested 35 percent and the
Fuller Center for Housing Armenia invested 15 percent. In addition, the
Vanadzor municipality donated the land for the homes, installed the
necessary infrastructure to the district and landscaped the area.

The homes were built using new technology of polystyrene foam block. It is
possible to complete a new home in a month using this technology, rather
than the six- to 12-months required with traditional building materials.
Such homes are ecologically clean, reasonably priced and, most importantly,
earthquake resistant. These homes have proven standards of efficiency and
structural integrity that can be delivered at affordable prices. These low
cost homes are cool in the hot Armenian summer and require little heat in
cold weather. The standard home has two bedrooms, bath, kitchen and living
room.

"It is the priority of the ARDA foundation to make houses that are the most
convenient for the families as they have seen so much sorrow. For each
family the foundation has donated kitchen cabinets, a gas kitchen stove and
oven, as well as a gas heater," said Hrahat Stepanyan, executive director of
ARDA’s Yerevan office.

The temporary housing district formed in Vanadzor after the 1988 earthquake
turned into permanent shelter for many families which survived the disaster
that killed some 27,000 people. The families, hardly earning any income, had
to renovate the temporary shelters every year just to make them a little
bearable under the exhausting summer sun and against the cutting cold of
winter. Many children grew up in the temporary shelters and now their
children are growing up in the same conditions.

<For many years we have been waiting for this day. From all beneficiary
families’ name I would like to express my deepest apreciation to three
partners; Vanadzor municipality, ARDA foundation, Fuller Center for Housing.
May God’s blessing be on you> said Aida Ghukasyan, mother of 3 kids.

The new polyester homes are a dream come true for the 16 families receiving
them, and another 16 families will celebrate their new homes during
dedication ceremonies in November. However, some 150 more families remain
trapped in the temporary housing erected over 20 years ago.
The average cost of the new polyester home is 5.2 million Armenian drams
(about $14,000 U.S. dollars). The homes are built with the help of the
benefiting families, as well as local and American volunteers.

To find out more about the homes, the sponsoring partners and how to get
involved, go to:

— Armenian Relief and Development Association (ARDA), established in 1999
by the Armenian Gospel Mission to deliver humanitarian programs to poor
families, at

— Vanadzor municipality, involved in many home improvement projects in
cooperation with many organizations, at

— The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, working to eliminate poverty
housing by providing long-term, interest-free loans and by assisting with
the volunteer work helping low-income families to build simple, sustainable,
affordable houses and renovate their houses, at

For more details, please contact to Gohar Palyan Fuller Center for Housing
Armenia by phone (37410 271499) or visit our website

Fuller Center for Housing Armenia assists low- income families to build or
renovate safe, simple, comfortable homes,by offering them long-term,
interest free loans, Their monthly repayments flow into the Revolving Fund
and are used to help more families, thereby providing the financial
foundation for a sustainable community development effort.