福島市の借り上げ市営住宅について、単身の高齢者が退去を求められる問題が浮上しています。市は若い子育て世帯の入居を希望しており、契約更新時に単身者は要件外とされるため、退去を促しています。市の「活性化施策」に対し、斎藤正臣議員は批判を表明しました。市営住宅は住宅困窮者に対する支援策であり、入居者の人権や尊厳を守ることが最優先であるべきだと指摘しています。彼らは住み続けられるように配慮し、入居者の声を反映した政策を策定するよう市に求めています。
Why is there a difference in treatment for renters of municipal housing? The elderly living alone are being asked to vacate, while households with children are being encouraged to move in. This was the topic of questioning at the Fukushima City Council (as reported by the Kouhoku Newspaper) – Yahoo! News
Hello, in this blog we discuss current events for those interested in social issues. This time, I would like to talk about the issue of elderly individuals living alone in municipal housing in Fukushima City being unilaterally requested to vacate by the city.
This issue came to light during the general questioning of the December regular session of the City Council on the 7th. The city is requesting the elderly living alone to vacate in order to encourage young families with children to move in and revitalize the area around the station.
The issue concerns the “Waseda-cho Housing Complex,” which is a municipal housing complex that the city rented 40 units for a 20-year period in 2004. The contract is set to expire at the end of July next year, and the city plans to renew the contract for another 20 years. However, when the tenants need to renew their contracts, single individuals are deemed ineligible. The city claims to be guiding them to move to another municipal housing complex where singles can be accommodated, but moving out is a significant financial and physical burden for elderly individuals living alone.
Councilor Masao Saito, who raised the question, pointed out that there are at least two households of elderly individuals living alone who have lost their families in the Waseda-cho Housing Complex. He repeatedly appealed, “Couldn’t the city have found a way to interpret the regulations in such a way that they could continue living there?” However, the city insisted, “The city’s policy of wanting young families to live there cannot be changed.”
There has been a lot of criticism of the city’s response to this issue. Municipal housing is a public support measure for housing difficulties, such as low-income individuals and the elderly. The city is attempting to revitalize the area around the station by selecting tenants for municipal housing, but this seems to be putting the cart before the horse. Tenants of municipal housing are not tools for the city’s policies, but individuals. The city should prioritize protecting the human rights and dignity of municipal housing tenants.
I strongly oppose the city’s response. Rather than demanding that the elderly living alone vacate, the city should make an effort for them to continue living there. Additionally, it is important for the city to listen to the opinions and requests of municipal housing tenants. The city should develop housing policies that reflect the opinions and requests of municipal housing tenants. I believe it is the city’s responsibility to consider the happiness of the tenants of municipal housing.