Armenian government approves of support for forcibly displaced  Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians 

ArmInfo.  The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia is proposing to launch a new program for forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh who are eligible  for housing certificates but are unable to do so due to their family  or social status. This decision, along with a resolution to launch a  program to support the self-employment of Artsakh residents, was  approved by the Armenian Cabinet of Ministers on December 25.

"This primarily applies to small families of 1-3 people (in such  families, the funds received may not be sufficient to purchase  housing), whose members have a first or second degree disability, a  profound or severe degree according to the functional assessment  system, or are elderly," said Arsen Torosyan, head of the ministry.

According to him, such families are offered an alternative solution:  they can register for the social housing fund program as potential  beneficiaries on a waiting list. The program will begin in July 2026.

"Since there is currently a shortage of social housing, the program  provides for partial rent compensation of 40,000 drams per person per  month for up to 10 years," he said.

According to the minister, during these 10 years, if social housing  can be secured in an area close to the beneficiary's place of  residence or vital interests, it will be offered to the family as a  more stable housing option. If the offer is declined, the beneficiary  will be ineligible for the rent compensation program, and if  accepted, they will continue to use the social housing fund.

"The program will apply to families consisting exclusively of  individuals with permanent disabilities of the first or second group,  citizens with profound or severe disabilities according to the  functional assessment system, or family members aged 60 and above. In  addition, age restrictions have been established: the sum of the ages  of family members of two cannot exceed 115 years, and for a family of  three, 175 years," Torosyan said. As the minister explained, the  rationale behind the program is that citizens in these groups are  generally unable to work and generate additional income, for example,  to cover mortgage obligations. 

He added that the proposed provision addresses the housing problem  for a small number of families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.

he head of the Ministry of Social Labor announced that the 30,000  drams per month assistance will be extended for a year, until the end  of 2026, for minors, pensioners, and disabled citizens, as well as  for families with a per capita income of less than 55,000 drams per  month (these categories comprise approximately 50,000 people).

Starting next year, a new self-employment support program for small  business start-ups will begin. The program consists of three  components. Under the first, the state will pay citizens for business  courses worth up to 300,000 drams. Under the second, aspiring  entrepreneurs will be assigned a business mentor for 12 months,  receiving up to 60,000 drams per month. Under the third,  beneficiaries will receive compensation of up to 70% of capital  expenditures (for landscaping), but no more than 2 million drams  (provided the program is implemented with the assistance of a  business coach). The Housing Support Program for Families IDPs from  Nagorno-Karabakh was approved on May 16, 2024. The implementation  procedure for the state program was approved on June 14. The program  consists of three components. One is the acquisition of an apartment  or private home through the issuance of a certificate, the second is  the issuance of a certificate for the construction of a private home,  and the third is the repayment of a mortgage loan. 

Beneficiaries of the program are families forcibly displaced from  Nagorno-Karabakh after September 27, 2020, if all family members,  including minors, are Armenian citizens. The area of the purchased  apartment must be at least 12 square meters per family member, and  the price of the apartment cannot exceed 55 million drams. The  program will not apply to families from Kashatagh (Lachin), as well  as families in which at least one member owns residential real estate  in Armenia at the time of application.