SHARED HOUSING: PROGRAMS TO HELP FORCIBLY DISPLACED AND LONELY ELDERLY PEOPLE

Abstract

Meeting the housing needs of forcibly displaced individuals is a long-term task that requires a holistic approach with the participation of governments, humanitarian organizations, local communities and the displaced persons themselves. The goal should be to provide safe, decent and sustainable housing solutions that will allow forcibly displaced persons and families to rebuild their lives and restore self-sufficiency. For a country like Armenia with a relatively small population, 100,000 forcibly displaced people can be considered a significant number (about 3.36% of the population) and such large flows of forcibly displaced people can put serious pressure on resources and infrastructure, as well as on the ability of the government and humanitarian organizations to provide them with the necessary support, housing and services. In addition to numerical aspects, it is also important to take into account the context and causes of forced displacement, as well as the degree of vulnerability and needs of these persons. Regardless of the number and quality, it is important to provide assistance and protection to forcibly displaced individuals and work on sustainable solutions for their relocation and reintegration into society. Therefore, in the created complex situation, it is important to search for optimal solutions that will allow to combine the solution of several tasks in case of limited resources. A program that combines housing for refugees and lonely elderly people can be an effective and important step towards social integration and support of vulnerable groups of the society. Thus, it is possible to achieve social integration and reduce social isolation at the same time.