6,500 families in Gyumri are still living in temporary trailer homes, a consequence of the devastating earthquake that hit the area in 1988.

More than half of them, some 3,500 families, are not considered eligible for new housing since the government does not view them as direct victims of earthquake related damage.

According to research conducted by the RA State Statistical Service in 2010-2011, the highest rates of poverty, homelessness and unemployment were registered in Shirak Marz, of which Gyumri is the regional capital.

Poverty stands at a whopping 47.2% in Shirak. The median rate for Armenia stands at 34.1%.

The child poverty rate in Armenia stands at 41.4%. This translates into more than 300,000 children living under the poverty line.

Due to the high poverty and under-employment rates in Gyumri, families, especially those with many children, are forced to live in squalid conditions, many finding shelter in makeshift housing.

Take the six member Khachatryan family living in a trailer at 230 Manoushyan Street in Gyumri.

When you enter the hut, the stench of dampness immediately hits you.

Ashkhen Khachatryan, the mother, says the family could get by somehow if only it wasn’t so damp and unprotected.

Two of her sons are now serving in the army.