Karabakh refugees have faced rising housing rental costs.

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In Armenia, since the beginning of summer, the cost of housing rental has increased, and many refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh are forced to look for cheaper options. Human rights activists have linked the rise in rental prices to the influx of Russian citizens.

Recently, landlords in Armenia have started evicting refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh who rent apartments from them or sharply increasing rental prices, as they receive other, more profitable offers, writes the Telegram channel Re:public of Artsakh on August 20.

It is reported that currently only 19,000 out of 120,000 Karabakh residents have participated in the state housing purchase program in Armenia, which is only 16%.

"Recently, more than five families have called the representation of Nagorno-Karabakh in Yerevan complaining that the landlord has raised the rent, and they are looking for other housing," said the state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Nzhde Iskandaryan. on August 24.

"As of today, one family has not been able to find suitable housing. We are looking for ways to help this family. We temporarily settled this family in the building of the Artsakh representation (Nagorno-Karabakh) in Yerevan," Iskandaryan said. The family has four minor children, and one of the parents is working. The rent for the housing was raised at the beginning of summer.

An employee of the Support Information Center in Yerevan Artak Gevondyan told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" that recently refugees have been turning to the center, facing rising rental prices. "Several people have approached us for consultation, saying that landlords are raising rental prices and demanding to vacate the housing if tenants do not agree to pay the new price," he said.

According to him, "the center's specialists listen to the appeals, provide the necessary consultations," and he reported that families mainly have problems with "shadow" rentals, meaning there is no written rental agreement.

With the influx of a large number of Russian citizens into Armenia, the real estate market in Yerevan has changed - primarily, rental prices have increased in Yerevan.

"Since summer, with the influx of a large number of Russian citizens into Armenia, the real estate market in Yerevan has changed - primarily, rental prices have increased in Yerevan. There are cases where owners have raised rental prices, and tenants have been forced to move, mainly to cheaper apartments with worse living conditions," said human rights activist and public figure Mariam Asryan. to the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

In a real estate agency on Komitas Avenue in Yerevan, the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" was told that since July, rental prices have increased by more than 25% due to changes in demand - long-term rental housing is sought by Russian citizens.

In particular, an apartment in the center of Yerevan with all amenities and modern conveniences costs at least $1200, in districts closer to the center - about $1100, in districts without a metro, but with well-established infrastructure - from $900 to $700.

"The problem of rising real estate prices in Armenia is a common problem, and it would be wrong to link it solely to refugees from Artsakh," believes a manager in the field of online commerce from Yerevan Rima Gevorgyan.

It seems that since 2022, when the constant influx of people from Russia began, practically no structure in Armenia systematically monitors what is happening in the real estate market.

"Real estate prices in Armenia have become practically absurd. It seems that since 2022, when the constant influx of people from Russia began, practically no structure in Armenia systematically monitors what is happening in the real estate market, why prices are rising at such a pace, and how they correspond to the real incomes of the population. Almost every new significant influx of arrivals puts additional pressure on the market: demand for rentals increases, and with it, rental rates rise. Then, prices for housing sales also increase. As a result, not only forced migrants from Nagorno-Karabakh suffer from rising prices, but also local residents," she told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

She added that "the problem lies in the lack of effective regulation and systematic monitoring of the market." "The state should closely monitor such processes and assess their social consequences, investigate the causes, ensure market transparency, increase the supply of affordable housing, and develop a long-term housing policy that takes into account the interests of both forced migrants and citizens of Armenia who have been trying to solve their housing issues for years," Gevorgyan added.

Meri Avetisyan from Yerevan noted that not only refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh find themselves in a difficult situation. "It would be right when considering the housing rental problems of refugees to also take into account that there are citizens of Armenia who rent housing, and they also have problems with landlords who continuously raise prices. In Yerevan, 80% of the population lives in rented apartments or houses. Even I, with a small child, am being evicted by the landlord, saying that they will rent the apartment for a higher price because I did not agree to pay the new price they set," the woman told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

In the Lori region, the cost of houses and rental housing in many cases has already approached Yerevan levels.

Mane Tiratsyan lives in the Lori region of Armenia. She told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" that "the problem of rising real estate prices exists not only in Yerevan but is also becoming increasingly noticeable in the regions of Armenia." "For example, in the Lori region, the cost of houses and rental housing in many cases has already approached Yerevan levels. The real estate market is developing in such a way that the owner effectively sets any price, focusing not so much on the real incomes of the population as on current demand and the overall situation in the market. A logical question arises as to why this sector is practically not controlled. If this process continues, many families will have no real alternative either in Yerevan or outside of it," she noted.

On September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan conducted large-scale military operations in Karabakh. On September 20, 2023, an agreement was reached to cease hostilities and disarm the Karabakh Defense Army, and from January 1, 2024, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic ceased to exist in accordance with the decree of its last president Samvel Shahramanyan. "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a reference "The Beginning and End of the Unrecognized Republic of Artsakh".

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