The rise in rental prices has threatened the well-being of families of Karabakh refugees.

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Dozens of families of Karabakh refugees have been left homeless due to rising rental prices, facing difficulties in finding new housing. They have called on the Armenian authorities to control rental prices.

As reported by "look for cheaper options. Human rights defenders have linked the rise in rental prices to the influx of Russian citizens.

At a government meeting on August 27, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that "the purchase of housing in Yerevan or Armenia is becoming a trend among our compatriots in the diaspora, as well as among those who simply want to make an investment and believe that purchasing housing in Armenia is a good investment."

Pashinyan further noted that "people are buying housing, renting it out, and this property has high liquidity." "Real estate prices continue to rise. I receive numerous letters from citizens renting housing. However, on the other hand, for those who own property, the rise in prices is good news. They simply sit at home and get richer because the value of their housing is increasing," Pashinyan said.

They are looking for new housing where they can keep their jobs.

The State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, member of the Council for the Protection of the Rights of Karabakh Armenians Nzhde Iskandaryan stated on August 29 to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" that refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh are facing rising rental prices. "The Council for the Protection of the Rights of Artsakh Armenians has recently received several dozen alarming calls from refugees living in Yerevan and nearby towns. Refugees complain about a significant increase in rental prices for apartments and houses. Families who cannot pay the new prices are being asked by landlords to vacate their homes. For these families, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that after being forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, they have already managed to settle in Yerevan, and most importantly - they have jobs in Yerevan. Therefore, they are looking for new housing where they can keep their jobs. But the jump in housing prices makes this search problematic," Iskandaryan said.

Iskandaryan announced his appointment as the State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh during a meeting with journalists on June 11, 2025. However, Iskandaryan did not specify the body that appointed him to this position. Previously, he was a member of the Council for the Protection of the Rights of Artsakh citizens (the self-designation of Nagorno-Karabakh), and the President of Artsakh, Samvel Shahramanyan, publicly supported the activities of this Council in 2025.

According to Iskandaryan, the Council intends to prepare an appeal to the Armenian government with proposals for its resolution and believes that "the problem requires government intervention."

Earlier, Iskandaryan published a video on his social media page about two families of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. In the first video, Iskandaryan spoke about a woman with four minor children. The landlord demanded payment for the housing two months in advance at the new increased rates or to vacate the apartment. As a result, unable to pay, Liana Aivazyan had to vacate the apartment with her children. For the fourth day, she and her children have been in the building of the permanent representation of Nagorno-Karabakh in Yerevan, where they have been provided with bedding in the meeting room. The second video is about a family of two, a husband and wife, who have been living in an emergency building of a former kindergarten for the second month without basic amenities. The woman is a first-group disabled person. Two months ago, the landlord raised the rent and then evicted them because they could not pay.

Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh interviewed by a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" spoke about problems with housing rentals. The survey is not representative and reflects only the private opinions of those interviewed.

I had to settle in the representation building until I find another housing that is close to my workplace and affordable for us.

Widow Liana Aivazyan shared that she sought help from relatives and friends, who "helped as they could." "All my relatives are just ordinary people. In Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) we had homes, we lived on salaries, had no savings, and were considered middle-income people. Now in Armenia, we are just surviving. I had to settle in the representation building until I find another housing that is close to my workplace and affordable for us. School is starting soon, and they need to go to school from home, looking presentable," the woman shared.

Berta Shahramanyan from Stepanakert reported that her family faced a sharp increase in rental prices - the monthly payment rose to 300,000 drams (about 1,000 dollars), which the family cannot afford, and they need to vacate their current apartment in just a few days. In September 2023, during the mass exodus of the population from Artsakh, Shahramanyan lost four family members in an explosion - her father, two minor brothers, and her husband. She now lives with her mother and brother, who has a disability due to military service, and is the only working member of the family. "We cannot move to another region because I work in Yerevan, and so far I have not been able to find affordable housing in the capital," she lamented.

According to her, "the housing certificates provided by the state in the amount of 3-4 million drams are not enough even to purchase a one-room apartment, and many families forcibly displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) are facing the problem of sharply rising rental prices."

Alla Arzumanyan is undergoing treatment for cancer, and she shared that high rental prices are a serious problem for her, especially considering her treatment expenses. She stated that after being discharged from the hospital, she has nowhere to return to, as she does not have her own housing. Arzumanyan notes that in the current situation, she does not know if she will be able to pay rent and where she will live after her treatment, and for now, she only hopes that the Armenian government "will intervene in the situation in favor of the forcibly displaced."

Most of our people are surviving in extremely difficult conditions.

Lyuba Nalbandyan believes that the housing problem of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh requires serious attention from both the Armenian government and wealthy representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh. "Most of our people are surviving in extremely difficult conditions. This problem needs to be taken seriously - both by the Armenian government and by wealthy Artsakh citizens. People cannot be left alone with these problems," she believes.

Angelina Ayrapetyan believes that without a solution to the housing problem, many refugees may end up on the street. "The queue will reach each of us - we will all end up on the street if housing prices are not controlled, and the rise is not halted. Living below the poverty line will not only be for the forcibly displaced but also for local residents," the refugee believes.

On September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan conducted large-scale military operations in Karabakh. On September 20, 2023, an agreement was reached to cease hostilities and disarm the Karabakh Defense Army, and from January 1, 2024, the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ceased to exist in accordance with the decree of its last president Samvel Shahramanyan. "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a reference "The Beginning and End of the Unrecognized Republic of Artsakh".

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