The human rights organization Social Justice Center has criticized the Georgian government’s new program offering monetary compensation to internally displaced persons (IDPs) instead of housing. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the authorities’ initiative on October 12, and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection disclosed the details of the project on October 16.
“We believe that the program, judging by its declared content, will not only fail to facilitate the long-term and dignified resettlement of internally displaced persons, but will also create real risks of homelessness and even greater social isolation for families without housing and savings,” the human rights organization stated.
According to the NGO, the compensation program raises concerns across a number of aspects, with one such issue relating to the substance and terminology of the initiative itself.
“It remains unclear what exactly is meant by the term ‘compensation,’ which inherently implies restitution for damages: is it linked to damage caused to housing, is the displaced person required to use these funds for resettlement, and if they can spend them at their own discretion—why then does this ‘compensation’ revoke the right to receive permanent housing?”
According to the authors of the statement, another problematic aspect is the amount of the compensation. The NGO considers the calculation methodology and the grounds underlying the sum to be vague. The relevant agencies have not provided any explanations on the matter, which, rights advocates argue, raises suspicions that the established amount was set arbitrarily, unsupported by real estate market analysis or other up-to-date data.
“The actual amount of the compensation also remains a serious challenge. Even though a family may consist of several people, bringing the total payment to several tens of thousands of lari, this sum still lags significantly behind current market prices for housing. This creates a risk that displaced families without savings will simply be unable to purchase a home with the funds allocated by the state,” stated the Social Justice Center.
The organization urges the authorities to publicly clarify all legal ramifications of the program, substantiate the adequacy of the compensation amount, and provide clear guarantees that IDP families who cannot purchase adequate housing with the funds received will not be left without further state support.
In addition, the rights advocates insist on the need to strengthen existing long-term resettlement programs, expedite their implementation, and create predictable and transparent opportunities to provide housing for internally displaced persons.
