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The Government of Armenia has established the deadlines for concluding donation agreements with the families left homeless by the earthquake within the framework of the housing construction programs supported by the State.

The decision sets to grant certificates of ownership to the tenants of 955 residential houses, which are passed to the homeless people within the state program without an ownership right.
The decision justification reads that in 2010 the tenants were given 1037 apartments out of the 1056 constructed houses in Gyumri, 199 apartments out of 220 in Spitak, and in 2012, the tenants were granted 1754 apartments out of 1756 constructed houses. The deadline for concluding the agreements was set on December 1, 2016

Highlighting the significance of the decision, PM Abrahamyan mentioned that it was even delayed. “People have lived in those apartments for years possessing no certificates of ownership. Without going into the reasons, I instruct the Minister for Territorial Administration, other bodies of territorial administration, local self government bodies to realize the program consistently within the set deadlines in due manner. I consider that to be an important matter.”

PM Abrahayan highlighted that there are a number of other major problems in the disaster zone, thus instructing the Minister of Urban Development once again make a final inventory and address all the remaining issues.

To remind, on December 7, 1988 at 11:41 am local time (07:41 UTC/GMT), an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale took place in the north of Armenia. The epicenter was in the city of Spitak and surrounding villages. The magnitude in Spitak was 10; Gyumri, 9; Stepanavan, 9; Vanadzor, 8–9; and Yerevan, 6.

The total zone of the disaster covered 3k sq. meters, hitting in total 21 towns and districts, 343 villages.

According to official data, the quake killed 25,000 people, 20,000 people received various bodily injuries and left 514, 000 homeless, while the value of material losses were estimated to be at $10 billion US.

The devastating earthquake destroyed 17% of the housing of the republic, 170 industrial enterprises quitted their activity

Major damage was caused to architectural, historic, cultural monuments as well as to 917 educational institutions. 

Thanks to the efforts of ordinary citizens and rescuers, about 45,000 alive and dead people were recovered from the ruins, 12,500 were hospitalized.