Displaced residents of Hadrut (Artsakh) now living in Armenia demonstrated outside the Government Building in Yerevan today demanding that the Armenian government continue its rent assistance program.

Azerbaijani forces occupied the entire Hadrut region during last year’s war.

The Armenian government stopped the rent assistance program in August.

Artur Stepanyan, one of the demonstrators, told Hetq that he is paying 130,000 AMD monthly to rent an apartment in Yerevan for his family of eight. 

Stepanyan said an Artsakh government representative told him that the family would receive housing if the family returns to Artsakh.

Demonstrators said that they applied to the Artsakh government’s office in Armenia and were told that the Armenian government would review the issue and publish its decision.

"No one can give a clear answer. I mentioned in the application that I pay 130,000 drams rent of 130,000 drams and requested that they provide the rent for September, until the government makes a decision," Stepanyan said.

He says that 100 such applications were filed at the office.

"We submitted the application on September 1. Yesterday I went to follow up. They said the application would be rejected.”

Stepanyan told Hetq that 1,960 people are now living in Artsakh hostels. Each is allocated 4,000-6,000 drams a day. The Artsakh office in Armenia told Hetq that the money is given to those hostels accepting displaced residents.

Stepanyan said he spoke with a Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs official and was told that the Armenian government is drafting an assistance program to pay each displaced individual 50,000 AMD.

Stepanyan said he’s going back to the Artsakh government’s office in Yerevan to demand rent assistance.

“We’ve filed the applications. We’ll sit there until our housing issue is resolved.”