Violations in the Program for Allocating Apartments to Orphans: Who Was Included in the Lists

The Government of Armenia's Chief Prosecutor's Office has conducted a study on the process of providing housing for individuals who have completed their stay in children's care facilities. It has been revealed that according to the government decision No. 1325-N dated August 13, 2020, a list of 7 individuals entitled to residential premises was established. The decision stipulated that apartments would be provided to 163 beneficiaries included in the list on the basis of free use contracts by September 1, 2022.

According to a report by the Chief Prosecutor's Office, among the beneficiaries listed, 1 has died before the decision was made, 27 beneficiaries are currently outside of Armenia, 6 beneficiaries already own real estate, and it was found that 47 beneficiaries have not used electricity at all.

According to the information, between 2003 and 2010, under free use contracts signed with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, beneficiaries were obliged to inform the ministry in writing if they moved to a different place for permanent residence or traveled to another place for up to 6 months. Moreover, if a beneficiary did not reside in the apartment for more than 6 months, the contract would terminate, except in cases where the person is serving in the armed forces, is in detention, or is absent from their residence for medical or educational purposes.

However, it has been found that one of the beneficiaries listed died in 2018, about 1 year and 8 months before the decision was made. Starting from 2019, 27 beneficiaries have been outside of Armenia for more than 6 months over a year, with 15 of them having lived abroad continuously for at least the past two years. Furthermore, 47 beneficiaries have not used electricity for at least 6 months during a year in the past 10 years. Notably, 27 beneficiaries have not consumed electricity at the real estate address for the past 3 years, of which 3 have not resided in Armenia, and 6 beneficiaries have registered properties.

The development, implementation, and coordination of state programs aimed at solving the housing issues of socially vulnerable individuals and those with special needs, as well as their ongoing monitoring, fall under the functions of the Social Assistance Division of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia.

In other words, due to the negligence or careless attitude of responsible officials from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs towards their duties, contracts for free use of apartments signed with beneficiaries have not been resolved for a long time due to various reasons, including prolonged absence from Armenia since 2015, non-use of living space, ownership of real estate, or even in cases of death. Instead, in August 2020, these individuals were included in the corresponding list, allowing them to potentially acquire the apartments—something they did not have the right to do.

Considering that the study has revealed data indicative of potential criminal activity, a criminal case has been initiated and referred to the Investigative Committee of Armenia for further investigation.