Tenants of emergency houses in Yerevan complain about protraction with their resettlement from landslide zone

The authorities of Yerevan are inactive in resettlement of residents of Sari Tag District away from the landslide zone, as stated by residents of houses in emergency condition located in Street 18 of this district in the capital of Armenia. The Department for Real Estate Property of the Yerevan Mayoralty asserts that the respective housing fund has neither free apartments nor money for resettlement.

According to the residents, their problem was to be solved back in 2009-2011; in September 2011 the Yerevan Mayoralty gathered all the passports of the houses in the risk zone and offered new addresses. However, the relocation failed.

"In October 2011, the Mayoralty asked us to promptly pay all the utility debts, as we would be shortly resettled. Everyone was given a new address; and three days we walked around Yerevan from one address to another, looking at our news accommodations in District No. 6 and in the Kanaker District," said Karine Grigoryan, a resident of Sari Tag.

She reminded that once a two-storey building in their street collapsed right in the eyes of residents of neighbouring houses. According to her story, all the houses in the area are in the same terrible condition.

The orchard of Shushanik Margaryan turned into a hill. According to her story, huge boulders rolled down during the landslide, destroying everything in their path – her neighbour's house, beehives and gardens. Her two-storey house is almost empty, because "all the walls are in cracks, floors are loose; the house is dangerous to live in; and the whole family moved from the first floor into the basement."

All residents of Sari Tag confirm the fact that landslides will activated by spring; however, they continue living in their houses.

"What can we do? For many years they are promising some other housing for us, but still they take no actions' and we have nowhere else to live. I already have serious health problems, but there is no other way out – we continue living in such inhumane conditions," Mr Akopyan said.

According to the Department for Real Estate Property of the Yerevan Mayoralty, under the decision of the Government of Armenia No. 204 of February 22, 2009, the residents of Sari Tag, Street 18 should have been provided with some other housing. According to the staff of the Department, the housing fund has neither vacant flats nor money to buy housing; therefore the issue of providing housing to residents of the houses, which are in emergency condition, was postponed for the indefinite future.