IDP policy and Action Plan 2017-2018

Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia has handed keys to 40 IDP families in the new building built by the Ministry in Vaziani, Tbilisi. Deputy Minister of IDPs Gogi Patsatsia congratulated Internal Displaced families with the new flats, it is a five-story building with 15 one-room, 15 two-room and 10 three-room flats. It was not a one time event, but the part of the Action Plan for 2017-2018 years created by the Ministry and proved by the Georgian Government in February 2017. Residential spaces were distributed to the families in accordance with the long-term resettlement criterias.

According to the official statistics, since 2003, up to 17 000 Internal Displaced families have been given flats and houses in different regions of Georgia, but much more is left. There are 273 411 IDP’’s in Georgia in total, distributed in 88 704 families, almost half of them living in Tbilisi – 105 956 person (36 212 families).

In order to solve the residential difficulties for IDPs, Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia works in several directions. Action Plan 2017-2018 continues the policy set by the previous planes and focuses on activities in three directions:

1. Resettlement of IDPs in rehabilitated and newly-built buildings

2. Redemption of IDP settlement facilities from private ownership

3. Purchasing private houses for Internally Displaced families.

According to the plan, during the 2017-18 years, Ministry will more be focused on building new blocks and other long-term resettlement programs than on rehabilitation projects, as number of the appropriated accommodation spaces owned by the Government is limited, also exploitation terms and rehabilitation costs are also taken into consideration.

Another priority of Action Plan is purchasing private houses for families in countryside. In 2013, Ministry bought 30 houses for Internally Displaced families. In 2017-2018, it is planned to rise the finance and correspondingly, the number of purchased houses will be raised till 1700. Such a big focus on that component of the program is provoked by the fact that it's not only providing with accommodation but also creates the possibility for income.

With the implementation of Action Plan 2017-18, Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia plans to purchase 1700 houses in countryside of Georgia, provide up to 2096 IDPs with newly-build flats, rehabilitate block with 29 flats, redemption of around 100 houses, registration of ownership of houses to approximately 4 000 families.

Ministry of IDPs, according to its strategic priorities, creates a two year action plan after every two years.