We believe that the program, taking into account its declared content, will not only fail to contribute to the long-term and dignified resettlement of IDPs, but will create real risks of homelessness and even greater social exclusion for families that have neither housing nor savings, – this is how the “Social Justice Center” responds to the government’s initiative, which envisages the launch of a program for providing monetary compensation to families in order to accelerate the process of ensuring IDPs with housing.

According to their information, the compensation program raises questions in several directions, and one such issue is related to the content and terminology of the program.

“It is unclear what is meant by the term ‘compensation,’ which implies the reimbursement of damage; whether it is related to housing-related damage; whether the IDP has an obligation to use this money for resettlement purposes; and if they are free to use it according to their own needs – then why does this ‘compensation’ replace the claim to permanent housing.

Another problematic issue is the amount of compensation. First of all, the methodology for calculating the compensation and what its amount is based on remain unclear. Relevant agencies have not provided explanations in this regard, which raises the suspicion that the established amount is arbitrary and is not based on housing market research or other relevant data.

The amount of compensation itself also presents another challenge. Despite the fact that a family may consist of several members, as a result of which the amount of compensation will reach several tens of thousands of lari, its size still significantly lags behind the current cost of housing. This creates risks that IDP families without savings will not be able to purchase a home with the financial compensation provided by the state,” – is written in the information disseminated by the “Social Justice Center.”

The “Social Justice Center” calls on the authorities to publicly clarify the legal consequences of the program.

“We call on the authorities, before launching the program, to publicly explain its legal consequences, to justify the adequacy of the compensation amount, and to create clear guarantees that IDP families who will not be able to purchase adequate housing with the received funds will not be left without further state support. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the existing long-term resettlement programs, accelerate their implementation, and create predictable and transparent opportunities for IDPs to receive housing,” – is written in the statement.

For information: IDP families that request monetary compensation from the state in exchange for residential space will receive the funds within 45 calendar days after the completion of the acceptance of applications.

According to the order, compensation is issued only if the families have not benefited from any state program for the long-term housing provision of IDPs and the information provided in the application regarding the composition of the family corresponds to the real situation established as a result of monitoring.