Rent aid cut leaves displaced Karabakh Armenians struggling to stay housed

By Siranush Adamyan

Displaced Karabakh Armenians are facing growing uncertainty after a sharp reduction in state rent subsidies that took effect on June 1, limiting support to only the most vulnerable groups.

Under the revised rules, only children under 18, students in mandatory education, people aged 63 and older, individuals with first or second degree disabilities, and those who have lost a primary breadwinner remain eligible. Since July 1, this assistance has been capped at 30,000 AMD (around $75) per person per month—down from the earlier flat rate of 50,000.

For many families, the drop has been devastating.“I can’t even buy my child ice cream,” said Gohar Hakobjanyan, who lives in the town of Armavir with her daughter. With only one child eligible for the reduced benefit, she pleaded with her landlord to lower the rent. Eventually, through a personal connection, the rent was cut from 50,000 to 35,000 AMD—with a condition that she pay for the gas installation.

Hakobjanyan earns just 75,000 AMD a month and recently pawned her jewelry to pay rent. As for the government’s housing assistance program, which offers a lump sum of 8 million AMD, she dismissed it outright: “I can’t even buy a chicken coop with that,” she said. “Unless a benefactor builds something and gives it to people like us, there’s no hope.”

Liana Voskanian, a single mother of six, is in a similar predicament. Her family receives 180,000 AMD in total rent assistance, but all of it goes toward their current housing costs. Despite working as a hairdresser, her earnings are irregular, and she says it is nearly impossible to cover food, clothing, and school expenses for seven people.“I’ve searched everywhere for housing,” she said, noting that even in outer districts like Erebuni, property prices far exceed the 8 million AMD ceiling. She has not applied for a mortgage, convinced that no bank would lend to her.

Both women have applied to a new emergency assistance program launched by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, targeting families with per capita incomes below 55,000 AMD. But as of early August, neither has received a response.

The current 30,000 AMD monthly aid is set to expire on December 1, leaving families fearful of what comes next.

“Even a chicken dreams of having a coop,” Hakobjanyan said. “And we’re left without even that.”