200 Internally Displaced Persons Get Flats in Tbilisi

TBILISI - Georgia’s Minister of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees Sozar Subari welcomed over 200 internally displaced families into their new flats, located in the Tbilisi New Sea City district.

The families that received new flats from the government are IDPs from Georgia’s two breakaway regions—Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Subari said that since 2013 more than 1,800 IDPs have been granted apartments in Tbilisi. “This process goes on and very soon all the IDP families will get apartments,” he added.

“The apartments are renovated with gas, electricity and metering,” Subari said, adding that the families will be able to move into their new homes immediately.

Last month the minister announced that some internally displaced persons would no longer receive the state monthly support worth 45 GEL, and clarified that this concerned the families whose members were employed and who had already received accommodations from the government. 

In addition, Subari said that the poorest refugees would receive doubled monthly support from the state. 

On February 9, 2017, the government approved the 2017-2018 National Strategy Implementation Action Plan for refugees. The minister said that the plan had many directions, and its priorities were providing refugees with accommodation. It will also help them gain their own sources of income. According to this national strategy, 4000 refugees would receive accommodation in 2017-2018.

 By Thea Morrison