Purchase a Home 12 – Yeranosyan Family

Following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the City of Gyumri. Many of these families took refuge in the overseas shipping containers (domiks) that were shipped into Armenia loaded with humanitarian relief supplies, or in condemned buildings. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat. The Armenian government has provided most of the families that lost their homes in the Earthquake with new housing units.

As people moved out of those makeshift housing units, others moved in. The 2,500 or so families that remain are Gyumri’s desolate families, who are not in line to receive a government provided apartment. Many of these families are comprised of single mothers, multiple children and/or the disabled.  This is a sustainable model in that families that have been moved into permanent housing in the past have had a high degree of success maintaining their families and their new homes.

Jhanna and her two sons live in deplorable conditions.  Their domik is located along Gyumri’s sewer lines, and when it rains, their domik gets filled with sewage.  Jhanna has a disability and a problem walking.  She does not have a husband.  Both of her son’s attend one of Gyumri’s boarding schools because of their terrible living environment and are often ill.  Once the funds are raised to move Jhanna and her family, their make shift housing unit will be dismantled to prevent its future occupancy.