No work No house No year-end and New Year holidays What should I do ...

No work No house No year-end and New Year holidays ... December 25, 13:58

"In winter, I walk in a 24-hour discount store all night."

Every year when it gets cold, I (Yoshinaga) remember this word.

It was an answer when I asked how I was spending after the warm public facilities were closed in a volunteer activity that I participated in six years ago to support people living on the street.

But this is ...?

As I walked through the downtown area where the lights were extinguished due to the corona wreck, I felt that the danger was approaching more than usual.

I started interviewing with that in mind, wondering if there was anything I could do.

* The main support movements are summarized at the end of the sentence.

(Network News Department Reporter Natsumi Yoshinaga, Ken Memida, Shinichiro Kuninaka)

Some women fell off the bench and broke

In late December, when the cold became even more severe, I heard that an NPO would distribute food to people in need in Tokyo.

There was a long line in the large space in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

There is also a counseling session next door, and some people consult after receiving food.

There was a person who stared at the situation with the distributed food.

I want to talk to you, but are you refraining from doing so?

"What happened?"

"I'm looking for someone."

It was a female voice.

I don't know the expression because I was wearing a mask and wearing a jacket hood.

I could see a few gray hairs through the gaps in the hood.

It seems that the woman was looking for a familiar man who often meets at various soup kitchens.

"He's still young, so he can start over. I always encourage him to meet, but I'm worried that something happened if I couldn't see him ..."

After chatting for a while, I found out.

Women walk many kilometers a day in this cold weather, from soup kitchen to soup kitchen.

I have a mobile phone, but I can't use it anymore.

It's a small bench to spend the night.

When he was trying to sit down before, he slipped off and broke his bone, and he had been hospitalized for months.

He said that he was worried if he couldn't see the people who were always there because he lived side by side with such danger.

When asked what he was most worried about right now, he answered, "I'm worried about getting sick during the New Year holidays. I don't know where to call."

I was worried about the voice of anxiety from women, so I contacted the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Association, which provides free and low-cost medical care for people in need.

Yoshiko Yamamoto, Deputy Director, Japan Federation of Democratic

Medical

Association

"If you are really sick, you can go to a nearby medical institution. However, please be sure to call and tell your symptoms before you go. You cannot see the doctor because you do not have the money. You might think, but that's not the case. Even if you can't afford the treatment, the hospital's social workers and welfare offices will help you. If you have a fever, the prefecture has it. Please call the consultation / consultation center of the new Corona to guide you to the hospital. If you are in Tokyo, it is the Tokyo Metropolitan Fever Consultation Center. (Telephone 03-5320-4592 24 hours a day) "

Mr. Yamamoto added, "It's just ..." when he talked so quickly.

"Recently, when I hold a health counseling session for people who have trouble living, there are quite a few people who don't have a landline or smartphone, and even if they do, the power doesn't turn on. I want to call the hospital for the year-end and New Year holidays. I'm very worried that some people will not be able to do it. "

Although it does not appear in the statistics

It is not well known how many people have lost their place of residence and are forced to live on the streets due to this corona sickness.

The last national survey conducted by the country is as of January, before the spread of the infection.

According to a survey conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in August, there were 877 "street dwellers" in Tokyo.

It is said that 12 people have decreased compared to January and 160 people have decreased compared to the same period last year.

The capital says, "The measures we have taken so far are effective."

However, the survey is a method of visually confirming the people who are spending time on the street during the day, and should be targeted for support such as those who work in the daytime and live on the street only at night or those who are sleeping in an internet cafe. Some point out that people are not included.

On Twitter, there are a lot of posts saying that the number of people living on the street has increased recently.

"I feel that the number of homeless people has increased in the corona vortex."

"Clearly, the number of homeless people around Shinjuku has increased ... young people ..."

The certified NPO "Independent Living Support Center Moyai", which provides support for street sleepers mainly in Tokyo, receives about twice as many consultations as usual, and it seems that the number of consultations for women is increasing.

Certified NPO "Independent Living Support Center Moyai" Chairman Onishi Ren

"The number of people who are having trouble living due to the influence of the new corona is increasing. The actual situation is more serious because some people are hesitant to ask for support. I think it is. "

A message from a bench that is difficult to sit on

There are not many places where people who are forced to live on the street can spend their time with peace of mind.

In the early morning of November, a 64-year-old woman who lived on the street in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, was beaten and died.

The woman lost her job due to the corona sickness, and moved to this bus stop from around spring to night.

The bench where she last sat and slept.

There is a partition in the middle and you cannot lie down.

The seat is small and has no backrest.

When I sat down, it almost slipped off, and the skeleton of the bus stop just hit my back.

You can't sit for a long time.

Moreover, I felt that it took a lot of energy and physical strength to dawn here.

Professor Taro Igarashi of Tohoku University Graduate School, who specializes in architectural criticism, says that such a "difficult-to-sit bench" sends a certain message.

Professor Taro Igarashi, Graduate School of Tohoku University

"The bench is intended for sitting, but it is usually possible to lie down on a long and narrow surface. For homeless people, it can be used as a table that does not have to sleep on the ground. Only the function of sitting on it It is these benches that make it impossible to leave and sleep. The public space that everyone should be able to use is facing a strict attitude toward certain people. People living a normal life I don't think the intention is conscious, but the message is clear to those who are excluded. "

A society that excludes is not kind to anyone

Professor Igarashi suggests that other structures installed in public spaces may have similar aims.

He said it was a sign of social intolerance.

Professor Igarashi

"In recent years, the number of structures installed in front of stations and underground passages has increased in parallel with the installation of security cameras. It has no particular role and occupies the place so that homeless people cannot stay. It's a kind of "exclusion art". It's a sign of social intolerance, and if you exclude others in this way, you will end up with a city that isn't kind to anyone. "

Actually ... there are many people who care

While there are sad incidents, there is an article that has recently received a great deal of attention on the Internet over the support of people living on the street.

The title is that it is not my own business that led to street life.

I called out to "people who live on the street".

It was written by writer Shizuka Wada.

When I was walking in a shopping building in Shinjuku in December, a person who was sitting in a chair in an inconspicuous place caught my eye and said that he was living on the street. ..

The incident that happened in Shibuya also pushed my back.

"I'm very sorry, but

do

you live on the street?"

"Yes."

Along with the hot tea and croquette bread I bought at a nearby convenience store, I wrote down the contact information of the support group and handed it to me. The woman politely said "Thank you" and bowed her head.

When I wrote this event as a memo on Facebook, it seemed to have received a surprising response, and the article says:

Mr. Wada

"Everyone can't talk to me, but I'm really worried about it. Is it embarrassing or courageous?"

Some people who live on the street don't like being called out, and sometimes they refuse to give food, but it doesn't bother me if I think "I'm noisy". Mr. Wada.

Here's why I'm noisy.

"I just happen to be lucky to have a place to live. I don't have a place to live because of bad luck and political powerlessness. It's not my own business. If I replace it with myself, I'd like to hear from you. Help I want you to

He taught me a booklet that I carry with me so that I can hand it over at any time.

The "Street Escape / Lifestyle SOS Guide" is published by the "Big Issue Fund", a certified NPO that works to support people living on the street.

There are Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto editions that provide consultations for the government and the private sector according to problems such as "no food", "sickness", and "no place to stay". ..

If you suddenly hesitate to call out, you can just place it gently at the feet of the person who is resting.

If it's a little noisy and there is any chance of preventing sadness ... I thought so, so I printed it out and put it in my commuting bag.

If you are in trouble during the New Year holidays, go here

If you are having trouble with your life, such as losing your home, please consult with a public institution before the year-end and New Year holidays.

We provide consultation on livelihood protection and support at the welfare office of the ward and the welfare section of the municipality.

Here is a summary of the support measures that each local government and NPO are implementing during the year-end and New Year holidays.

Tokyo: Free business hotel

[Target]

People who have lost their homes due to unemployment due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection

* Although they are not unemployed, they have

lost their

jobs and have secured a place to live (including internet cafes) Also for those who cannot

[Support period / scale] From

December 21st to January 19th, in principle

, up to 1000 rooms can be provided

per person for up to 2 weeks

[Application / consultation method]

(1) "TOKYO Challenge"

Toll-free number

via "net"

0120-874-225

Female-only dial 0120-874-505 Make a

reservation from the "TOKYO Challenge Net" homepage, and then consult face-to-face and consider support measures

(2) Welfare offices and independence of each ward / city Consultation at a consultation support organization

[Remarks]

If you know that you lived in Tokyo before you lost your home, bring it with you.

Japan Labor Lawyers, etc. "New Year's Eve / Support Corona Damage Counseling Village"

[Details]

Provision of meals, support for securing accommodation, etc.

[Date]

December 29, 30, January 2, 10 am to 5 pm

Tokyo・ Shinjuku Ward "Okubo Park"

Conducted by a support organization in Tokyo "New Year's adult cafeteria"

[Details]

・ Food distribution and consultation on daily life

・ Information on hotel reception desks and public support counters prepared by the city ・ Accompanying etc.

[Date and place ]

December 31st 3:00 pm-6pm

Tokyo Toshima-ku "Higashi Ikebukuro Central Park"

January 1st, 3rd noon-6pm

Tokyo Chiyoda-ku "St. Ignatio Church"

Osaka City Group "New Corona Housing and Living Emergency Support Project OSAKA"

[Details]

Lifestyle and employment consultation, accommodation and food support

[Date and place]

December 30th to January 3rd 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Osaka Nishinari-ku, Osaka "Roji Higashida"

"Yorisoi Hotline"

We accept consultations on general life free of charge 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Phone: 0120-279-338 If

you live in Iwate / Miyagi / Fukushima, 0120-279-226

In addition to this, the "NPO Homeless Support National Network" summarizes support activities around the country on its website.

You may be able to get help near you.