Armenian authorities announce changes to support programs for displaced Karabakh residents

A total of 5,372 certificates have already been used under the state housing program for persons displaced from Karabakh, while the deadlines of several social assistance programs have been extended.

At the same time, new changes are planned to the housing program, and a new employment promotion program will launch on January 1, 2027.

Representatives of Armenia’s Ministry of Labor and Welfare provided an update on the progress of the programs during a press conference at Armenpress head office, presenting the current results of support programs for persons displaced from Karabakh and upcoming changes.

Gayane Gharagyozyan, Adviser coordinating individual functions of structural subdivisions of the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, said that the housing support program is currently experiencing a particularly active period, both in terms of applications and the issuance and use of certificates.

“We currently have 9,042 approved certificates, covering approximately 37,000 people in total. Of these, 5,372 families have already used their certificates. This means that approximately 25,000 displaced persons have acquired real estate in Armenia with state support or are currently in the construction phase,” Gharagyozyan said.

According to her, Kotayk Province leads in the number of certificates used, with 1,534 families having benefited from the housing support program. Armavir and Ararat provinces follow, with 830 and 748 families, respectively. In Yerevan, 537 families have used their certificates, compared with 442 in Lori, 264 in Syunik, 204 in Gegharkunik, 191 in Shirak, 184 in Aragatsotn, 111 in Tavush and 74 in Vayots Dzor.

Referring to the increase in real estate prices and the difficulties faced by smaller families in purchasing housing, Gharagyozyan said that the program encourages not the acquisition of property in Yerevan but balanced territorial development.

According to her, even families consisting of one or two members can use their certificates without having to secure additional financial resources.

In particular, 105 of the 188 one-member families, 267 of the 502 two-member families, and 336 of the 703 three-member families used their certificates without additional funds.

“A total of 1,462 families had a positive balance after using their certificates. These funds can be directed toward apartment renovations, the purchase of furniture and household appliances, as well as the acquisition of agricultural land. Currently, 1,086 families have received renovation loans totaling approximately 3.4 billion drams; 1.6 billion drams has been allocated from the state budget to 973 families for the purchase of furniture and household appliances; and 80 families have been provided with loans totaling 283 million drams to purchase agricultural land,” Gharagyozyan said.

A total of 31 billion drams has been allocated for the housing program in 2026, approximately half of which has already been used. The 2027 state budget allocates 42 billion drams for the program.

According to Gharagyozyan, a draft submitted for public discussion proposes extending the deadline for benefiting from the existing mortgage loan repayment assistance component from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026.

The second proposed change would allow families with a positive balance to use those funds toward repaying an additional mortgage loan as well.

The third change concerns children born into beneficiary families. It is proposed that children born up to and including December 31, 2027, also be considered beneficiaries of the program, with assistance of 3 million, 4 million or 5 million drams provided for each child, depending on the place of residence.

Edgar Bznuni, Head of the Family Social Assessment and Urgent Social Assistance Policy Division of the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, said that following the displacement of the Armenian population from Karabakh, a number of social assistance measures had been implemented, which had gradually become more targeted.

Two programs are currently being implemented: the assistance program for certain groups of persons displaced from Karabakh and the additional urgent assistance measure for vulnerable families displaced from Karabakh. According to October data, 46,000 people had received assistance under the first program, while 8,600 families had received assistance under the second.

By government decision, the assistance period has been extended through June 2027. From January through March 2027, beneficiaries will continue to receive 30,000 drams per month, while from April through June they will receive 15,000 drams per month.

“The assistance program is scheduled to be discontinued in July, but, for example, we will continue providing assistance to vulnerable families for another year, through December 2027, inclusive.”

He stressed that the revision of social assistance programs does not mean an end to the state’s obligations to provide support to displaced persons.

“We must understand that assistance should increasingly become targeted and tailored to specific needs. We have already reached the stage where we need to guide our beneficiaries more toward employment and self-reliance,” Bznuni said.

He also noted that a long-term rent compensation program was launched in July 2026 for small-sized and vulnerable families displaced from Karabakh.

The program is available to families consisting of one to three members that have not used a housing support certificate and meet the established criteria, including age-related or disability-related requirements. Rent compensation is envisaged for up to 10 years, at 40,000 drams per month for each displaced family member. One of the mandatory conditions is also registration on the waiting list for the social housing fund.

Ruzanna Pepanyan, Head of the Employment Programs Division of the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, said that ensuring stable employment is one of the key areas of the long-term integration of persons displaced from Karabakh.

According to her, approximately 1,800 beneficiaries were enrolled in the short-term training and work experience support program implemented since 2024 during its first year, instead of the planned 1,000. Subsequently, due to declining demand and problems identified during the program's implementation, a new program was developed and is scheduled to launch on January 1, 2027. Under the new program, beneficiaries will receive education vouchers worth up to 250,000 drams, which can be used within six months to pursue vocational training.

“The program also provides incentives for employers. For the first three months, employers hiring a beneficiary will be reimbursed 50% of the calculated income tax, up to a maximum of 25,000 drams per month, and for the following three months, 100%, up to a maximum of 50,000 drams per month. The beneficiary will also receive support: a one-time payment of 100,000 drams if the employment relationship is maintained for three months, and an additional 200,000 drams if they work for 12 months or more,” Pepanyan said.

According to her, the program will not be limited to specific professional fields. Training areas will be determined based on labor market demand.

She also spoke about the self-employment promotion program launched in 2026, which has received applications from approximately 280 people, with 276 approved. The program provides business training, guidance for business initiatives and grants for positively assessed business plans.

Pepanyan added that information on state employment programs is available on the ministry’s official website, while citizens can use the e-work.am platform to apply for the programs and search for job vacancies.