According to the data of the National Statistics Service of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, in 2006, there were 2102 children born in Nagorno-Karabakh, compared to 2004 in the year 2005; 1235 people died in 2006 compared to the 1260 deaths in 2005. In 2006, the population growth was 867 and it has grown by 16.5% compared to 2005. There were 827 marriages in 2006, while there were 751 in 2005; as for divorces, there were 123 divorces in 2006 compared to 2005 (117).
Despite the increasing number of marriages in Nagorno-Karabakh, housing is still the major issue for young families. Young parents who are forced to live on rent for several years due to the lack of financing say that the government is not taking steps towards providing young families with homes. In 2006, the Government of Nagorno-Karabakh tried to do something to solve the problem, but as they say, they didn’t reach success for this or that reason. In 2006, it was stipulated to spend 200 million drams from the state budget for the provision of the hypothec credit. During the sessions of the National Assembly, the head of the executive body answered to deputies’ questions regarding this issue, assuring that the 200 million drams would be provided by the end of the year. The government explained the delay of the hypothec credit provision, saying that the order of provision was in the process of elaboration, however, during the yearend session, it turned out that throughout the year they hadn’t been able to make agreements with the banks for the provision of hypothec credits. Before that, the Minister of Territorial Management and Development of Substructures of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh had stated that the government was making an agreement with the Stepanakert branch of the “Ararat-Bank”. According to our sources, the agreement still hasn’t been made. Whatever the case, they’ll stop after making an agreement with “ArtsakhBank” with which they weren’t able to come to terms with from the beginning, or the government will come up with another way to provide the hypothec credits. They have to find a way because it is foreseen to provide 500 million drams from the state budget for the hypothec credits which, according to some deputies and political party representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, is not enough. According to Minister of Finances and Economy of Nagorno-Karabakh Spartak Tevosyan, there is a demand for a couple of billion drams of hypothec credits, “but the state isn’t capable of providing that much”.
It’s not clear just when the provision of the hypothec credits will begin. The government hasn’t even mentioned the order in which they will provide the money. Some young couples have purchased homes in Shushi. Years ago, it was possible to get homes for free or for a small amount of money; in the past year, prices for homes in Shushi have multiplied. Mayor of Shushi Felix Hakobyan says that there are no more free apartments in multi-story apartment buildings because years ago it was decided to construct homes in very good conditions for citizens with the purpose of eradicating the ruins-the citizen could become the homeowner if he tidied the apartment and remodeled it. There is only one apartment building in Shushi, which will be ready in the spring; there are many land properties and they are mainly given after declaring a contest or simply by selling. The cadastre price for one square meter of territory in Shushi is 170 drams.