Care must be Taken to Secure Housing amid Economic Impact of Pandemic

Editorial

15:06 JST, November 29, 2020

The employment situation is deteriorating due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Sufficient care must be taken to prevent an increase in the number of people who will be unable to pay rent and will lose their homes.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is considering extending the period of the housing assistance benefits, which are designed to subsidize rent payments mainly for those who lost their jobs and are looking for a job, under the law to support the independence of people facing poverty. Currently, the maximum period is nine months, but the ministry is considering extending the period by three months.

The period for those who started using the program in April, when the infections spread widely, will expire at the end of the year. Without a place to live, it will be difficult for these people to find a job and they could fall into poverty.

The extension is understandable as there is no prospect of an improvement in the employment situation. The ministry should also work to strengthen supports for finding jobs.

At the time following the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008, the number of layoffs and nonrenewal of contracts of non-regular workers rapidly increased, and many people lost their homes, a situation that became a social problem. Based on these lessons, this program was introduced.

Under the program, prefectural and municipal governments pay rent to owners on such conditions that applicants have little savings. The amount varies depending on the location and the number of residents in a household. In the case of a single-person household in Tokyo’s 23 wards, a maximum of 53,700 yen is paid.

In response to the pandemic, the government in April included not only those who lost their jobs but also those whose incomes have decreased due to the suspension of business or cancellation of events. Including the use of reserve funds, the government said it has secured about 30 billion yen for this fiscal year.

The support provided in the half year to September exceeded 100,000 cases, which is more than 25 times that of fiscal 2019. During the pandemic, the number of livelihood assistance recipients has not increased, indicating that housing assistance benefits are functioning as a safety net for society.

In addition to providing support while looking for a job, it is also important to make it possible to live stably in inexpensive rental housing.

In May, the Tokushima prefectural government established a system to subsidize part of the rent to housing owners when they rent to people whose incomes have decreased due to the pandemic.

An increasing number of local governments are offering public housing. Vacant housing should be utilized to offer easy-to-use housing.

This year, the ministry established housing and daily support centers at 80 Hello Work employment security offices nationwide. Officials in charge of the project coordinate with relevant organizations and offer advice on housing assistance, loans for living expenses and vocational training, among others.

People who work in unstable forms of employment, such as non-regular employment, are susceptible to economic conditions. The government should work to strengthen the foundations of people’s lives by providing integrated support, including job counseling and welfare services.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 29, 2020)