40 IDP families from dilapidated Kartli sanatorium receive new flats in Tbilisi

A total of 40 families of internally displaced persons who lived in the dilapidated building of the former Kartli sanatorium in Tbilisi have received flats in a newly built apartment block in the capital, the Ministry of IDPs said on Thursday.

Deputy Minister Irakli Ghudushauri said 85 families from the sanatorium had already received new flats, with the remaining 55 set to be provided with housing by the end of 2022.

Those residing in the sanatorium building have been living under safety risks for decades, as the building’s integrity was assessed as unstable in a 1998 expert study. A more recent study in 2015 said the condition of its base could “lead to its disintegration”.

Photo: The Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia/Facebook

Families who used the building for accommodation addressed relevant state authorities with unresolved requests for new housing over the years, before Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said in January they would “unconditionally” receive new housing by the end of 2022.

The Georgian Government announced in August 2021 it planned to provide 13,000 IDP families with new homes across the country as part of a four-year-plan.

Over 23,000 IDP families have been provided with new housing in the country since 2013.