Housing Project
Armenian Relief Corps is dedicated to helping families become self-sustainable. One of the ways we do that is to provide affordable housing to families who are currently living in makeshift shipping containers, known in Armenia as “domiks”
Many Armenians in the Gyumri and Vanadzor region moved into these homes after the devastating Spitak earthquake of 1988, 30+ years! Those living in domiks in villages had lost their homes due to other events and weren’t able to rebuild on their own.
ARC has been dedicated to helping these families move out of their domiks and into permanent homes by building new homes, providing the resources for the families to purchase existing homes and helping them renovate homes to suit each individual family. The goal is to eradicate the unsafe domiks and provide a helping hand to families move into their homes.
39 families now have access to reliable housing that meets their basic needs.
Check out a couple of our family case studies below for a deeper insight into our impact.
From domik to brand new home: Sharing Arkady’s story
Arkady and his family (a total of five) had been enduring harsh living conditions of a run-down domik home for decades in Vanadzor. Both Arkady and his wife work full-time but on their own were unable to afford a new house. Arkady’s mother also lived with the family and helped with keeping the domik as tidy as possible. They were forced to share an 8x10 living space with no insulation, no privacy, and only a makeshift kitchen area. In 2021, construction was started on a duplex in a central area of Vanadzor. Arkady and his family were able to move into 1 of the units that is safe, has bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and is free of mold and harsh weather conditions.
Arkady and his family can now look forward to brighter days.
Below are photos captured amidst the grand reveal of the newly constructed duplex residence. Marking the entrance were festive balloons, as the family gathered for a snapshot. Despite their stoic expression, a customary trait among Armenians while taking photos, their hearts brimmed with gratitude for this remarkable enhancement.
From domik to apartment: Sharing Hayastan’s story
Hayastan is a young widowed mother, with two kids. Their family has endured many losses in the family. Her husband passed away 10 years ago when their children were only a few months old. She was living with her in-laws at the time. Soon after her husband passed away, her mother-in-law passed away and her father-in-law had moved overseas to find work.
Having to experience unimaginable challenges, Hayastan held onto hope within the confines of her dilapidated domik, trying to keep up her spirits and support her family. She did the best she could with the little she had to keep her children warm, fed and taken care of. Unfortunately, despite her efforts, the domik they lived inside of was damp and moldy. These unlivable conditions meant the children were often sick in the winter months.
With the help of our donors and resources, Hayastan moved out of her run-down domik and into her own newly renovated apartment. Her new kitchen is large enough to support her passion for baking. She was able to start a small baking business, something that would have been impossible to do in her domik. She is growing in her creativity and has hope for the future. Now that her two children are living in a clean and warm apartment, their health has dramatically improved.
Hayastan’s story serves as a testament to the power of community support and resources, demonstrating how a simple change in living conditions can pave the way for a more promising future. Donate today to support ARC’s dream of no longer having to see families live in substandard living conditions.
Renovating a domik: Sharing the Ustyan’s story
We wanted to share the Ustyan family’s humble story because we were moved by their strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Despite their living conditions, this family of twelve, spanning four generations, they have managed to stay together under one roof, living in a 3 “room” domik, which was lacking all the basic essentials.
Though their circumstances were be tough, joy was still ever-present in their home. This is a family that inspires with their unwavering spirit, embodying the essence of the Armenia. They needed funds to renovate their home and add space for their growing family. ARC provided funds and supplies to renovate their home. The men of the family all work in construction and were able to renovate their own home into a safe place for their family.
How do we accomplish this?
The housing project in Armenia has been a collective group effort. Armenian Relief Corps has been working with individual donors, other like minded non-profit organizations and even city officials to accomplish providing families with safe and secure housing.
ARC works with city officials and local volunteers to screen each family to determine their need. Once the families are selected, ARC volunteers work closely with the families to secure housing that is suitable to their needs. For some, that means purchasing a new home or for others it is to rebuild their existing shelters into safe homes. Each family is provided with the funds upfront, but agrees to a 0% interest payback of the loan. Some families are able to pay back 100% of the loan over the course of a few years and some only need to pay back 50% of the loan, again at no interest. Loans in Armenia carry very high interest rates, making it near impossible for individuals to secure loans. By providing no interest micro loans, ARC has enabled families to secure safe housing, to work towards securing their housing and at the end of day have pride of ownership in their home. The paid back funds are then used to help another family secure safe housing. With the goal of providing safe and adequate housing, the project has been ongoing for a few years and will remain as one of our turnkey projects.