Housing problem in Armenia’s ‘quake zone’ to be fully solved by end of 2016 – minister

YEREVAN, October 2. /ARKA/. The housing problem in Armenia’s ‘earthquake zone’ will be completely solved during 2015-2016, the minister of urban planning Narek Sargsyan said at a briefing in the government on Thursday.

At its Thursday’s meeting the government allocated over 1.4 billion drams for home buying certificates for some 215 families in Giumry.

The minister said there are currently about 450 families still left without home purchase certificates, and this government decree solves the problem for almost half of them.

The rest will receive certificates next year, which means the issue will be fully settled for Giumry by the end of 2015, Sargsyan said.

Families living in rural communities of the “disaster zone” will obtain dwelling in 2016, according to the minister.

The minister said he initiated giving out certificates for home purchases as it is the most efficient and the quickest way to solve the problem.

Beneficiaries will not be receiving cash: the money will be transferred to the owner upon purchase, Sargsyan said.  

The apartment cost calculation is made based on data from the state cadastre, i.e. 109,000 drams per square meter, he said.

Since 2008 some 5,313 families have benefited from state-funded social programs in the “disaster zone”. In particular, 61 families received certificates for buying homes in 2008-2009, 321 households received direct financial aid of 3 million drams per family. Apartments were provided to 3,693 families in 2009-2013. 

Under a presidential instruction a total of 81.5 billion drams have been invested in housing construction in Giumry since 2008.

The devastating earthquake that jolted the north of Armenia on December 7, 1988, almost ruined Spitak and Giumry cities and a hundred of villages and left, according to the official information, 25,000 killed, 140,000 disabled and a half a million homeless. ($1 – 407.58 drams). –0--