The Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia has issued a statement regarding the government’s program providing cash compensation to displaced persons in lieu of housing.
Applications for the new program will open on October 19 and run through November 2 inclusive. Displaced persons will be able to submit their documents at Public Service Halls across the country.
The ministry emphasized that participation in the project is entirely voluntary and open to all displaced families who have not previously received housing or equivalent compensation from the state.
“Cash compensation will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis according to application submission, and will amount to 10,000 GEL (approximately $3,800) per family member holding internally displaced person (IDP) status.”
It is reported that 58 million GEL (around $22 million) has already been allocated in this year’s state budget to implement the program, with funding slated to increase in subsequent years.
The personal presence of all adult family members is required when submitting an application. Once requests are registered, the specialized department of the IDP Agency will process the submitted documentation in strict order of receipt. The number of families provided with compensation will be determined within the allocated budgetary limits.
“It is important to emphasize that, in parallel and in an active phase, both the construction of modern residential complexes and the state program ‘House in the Village’ (the purchase of homes in rural areas) are ongoing. The disbursement of cash compensation will be carried out without detriment to the existing, successful housing programs,” the statement reads.