Epress.am News from Armenia
The allowance for displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh is calculated based on the number of individuals in the family. For larger families, 50,000 AMD per family member adds up to enough to rent a flat in the city. Smaller families, however, are forced to settle in the suburbs and smaller towns. Single people, on the other hand, have no way to find housing even in remote villages, as there is no state program tailored for individuals living alone. Regional governors and city mayors typically rely on ad hoc solutions. Since privatization in the 1990s, the state has almost no shelter facilities or communal housing available. Displaced people are placed in various locations, such as old hotels, out-of-service kindergartens, warehouses, and more. If a family is living in a state-sanctioned facility, they automatically lose the allowance for rent. In cases where there is private ownership, the allowance is paid to the family. Many single people prefer to live with distant relatives to help care for children and become temporary members of the family. Others find roommates to share living space.
Stepanakert native Armineh is temporarily living with a friend and her family. Armineh sleeps on the couch. She is the last to go to bed and the first to wake up. She works at a nearby school. Her salary (36,000 AMD) and the social allowance she receives (50,000 AMD) are not enough to rent a place of her own. Armineh is actively searching for a better-paying job, a separate flat, and potential roommates. When the allowance program ends, she and her host family will be left homeless.
Hadrut native Susannah and her 6-year-old son, Danny, live in a former kindergarten in Masis. Local officials have placed single women, elderly men, poor families, and socially marginalized people in this facility. There are no basic amenities, and many quarrels arise among the residents. The municipality has said the residents need to be evicted, but no one has an alternative place to go. Susannah and Danny are surviving on debt and financial assistance from relatives. Sometimes Susannah’s mother or sister sends a little money. Danny is very young, and Susannah can’t afford to work.
Rosa, who has five children and many grandchildren, tries to help them while staying out of their way. She lived in the Alashkert Hotel in Martuni for a year, which became a shelter for those with nowhere else to go. The residents gave their allowance to the hotel owner. Everyone was content with the shared kitchen, central heating, and the basic facilities. Recently, she moved to Charentsavan. Her health deteriorated, and she could no longer stay out of her children’s way.
Stepanakert native Marineh first lived in a warehouse at the Charbakh sewing factory. The manager, Yerem, agreed to give her his office space. Later, Marineh asked the Gyumri municipality for an alternative place. She was then relocated to a former infectious diseases hospital in Gyumri. With help from her relatives and the hospital manager, she managed to make the place livable. Other displaced people later came to live there as well. The place is cold, but its tidiness provides some comfort. There is no washing machine, so the residents use the one in a nearby building. Nobody has any hope of ever getting their own apartment. The housing program, like the temporary allowance program, benefits families but does little for single people. There have been promises of social housing for single people, but no projects have been implemented yet.
Shushi native Silva now finds herself in the border town of Artsvi, on the Georgia-Armenia border. The village was once inhabited by the Udis, who left in the 1990s. Armenians from Kirovabad moved there afterward. Old and new refugees get along, but the living conditions are poor. There is no running water, no work, and too much idle time.
Sveta lives with her niece’s family in Abovyan, taking care of the children while their parents are at work.
Sushi native Greta has been living alone since her daughter got married and moved out. Now, Greta lives with her parents and siblings. She dreams of having her own flat where she can enjoy some solitude.
Armineh, Marineh, Susanna, Rosa, Silva, Sveta, and Greta are featured in the new episode of the After Karabakh series.
The project is implemented within the frames of the Council of Europe project “Ending Violence against Women and Promoting Gender Equality in Armenia”. Opinions expressed by Epress.am do not necessarily reflect the policies and position of the Council of Europe.