60% Of Disaster Public Housing Still to Be Planned; Construction Delays Caused Largely by Challenges in Securing Land

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:47 JST, July 1, 2025

With Tuesday marking 18 months since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck Ishikawa, Toyama, and Niigata Prefectures, claiming 616 lives, including disaster-related deaths, securing permanent housing for disaster victims remains a pressing issue.

In Ishikawa Prefecture, which suffered damage from heavy rains on top of the massive earthquake, up to 3,400 disaster public housing units are in need in nine municipalities, but only 40% of the construction has been planned due to difficulties in acquiring land, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

Disaster public housing is constructed by municipalities using national government subsidies and offered at low rent to disaster victims who have difficulties rebuilding homes. Construction is set to begin this summer in some areas, with occupancy expected to start next summer in Nanao and Nakanoto. However, only around 1,200 units are planned as of Monday.

According to the prefecture, 9,403 households comprising 19,735 quake victims live in temporary shelter as of June 20. Dwellers can stay in the shelter for up to two years in principle, but can stay another year if disaster public housing is not ready in time. The prefecture and municipalities will verify delay causes and notify shelter inhabitants of the possibility of extension at least three months ahead of the occupancy period’s end.

Of the 605 people in the prefecture who died in the earthquake, 377 died of related causes, with many cases attributed to stress from evacuation life and changes in living condition.