Georgia’s government offered internally displaced persons (IDPs) GEL 10,000 per family member in cash compensation as an alternative to housing because building homes for all eligible families would take decades, First Deputy Finance Minister Giorgi Kakauridze said. Speaking at a meeting of Parliament’s Health and Social Issues Committee, he stressed that accepting the compensation was entirely voluntary and that no families had been pressured to choose it.
Responding to a question from Ketevan Bakaradze, an MP from the For Georgia party, about whether research had been conducted into why IDPs preferred cash over housing, Kakauridze said the reasons could be examined in a follow-up study. He noted that approximately 38,000 IDP families are still awaiting resettlement, although the vast majority already have housing, with many carrying mortgage debt. The GEL 10,000 payment could therefore help families repay their loans early.
Kakauridze also argued that constructing housing for all 38,000 families, particularly in Tbilisi, would require considerable time due to land availability and construction constraints. He said the compensation programme would help reduce waiting lists and allow families without homes who still prefer housing to receive priority under the established criteria. Those who decline the cash offer will retain their right to housing and may move higher on the waiting list.
Applications for the cash compensation programme opened on October 19 and ran until November 2. Eligible IDP families who have not previously received state-provided housing or equivalent compensation can apply through Public Service Halls across Georgia. The compensation amounts to GEL 10,000 per displaced family member and is distributed according to the order in which applications are submitted.
