Abkhazian families attempt to take over unfinished building
Abkhazian families attempt to co-opt bulding
On January 20, 29 families in Abkhazia attempted to take over and squat in a building in Sukhum derelict since the Soviet era. Prior to that, they staged a protest on Freedom Square for several days, demanding help from the government.
The situation was temporarily resolved after a meeting with the Prime Minister, who promised to solve the housing problem for needy families.
The protesters say they are in distress. Families with children have been living in rented apartments for many years, without any hope of ever earning their own housing. Some are no longer able to make rent.
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The building they were trying to take over has been standing unfinished for about thirty years.
The protesters claim that it was abandoned and belongs to no one; city officials disagree. For the past few years it has been on lease from a company that has pledged to restore it. All apartments in the building are distributed in accordance with the applicant queue for social housing, the mayor’s office said.
The police prevented the protesters from entering the building. Then the protesters started a fire near the unfinished high-rise building and said they would not leave.
The leaders of the city, deputies of parliament, the minister of social security, and opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba, to whom the protesters themselves turned for help, came for negotiations with them.
Ardzinba managed to defuse the situation. He called Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab from the scene and agreed that the sides would meet for talks.
Alexander Ankvab promised to meet next week with a representative of each of the 29 families, to help those in particular need pay for rental housing and place them in an accelerated program for social housing.
Abkhazian families attempt to co-opt bulding
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