If you are told "I can't rent a room", February 9th, 19:52
The new coronavirus is affecting homes that are indispensable for daily life.
With the spread of telework, there is also a movement to move from urban areas to suburbs.
On the other hand, some people have difficulty paying rent due to low income, and some people are refused to move in even if they try to move to a house with lower rent.
Everyone can face it, even if it is not opaque with the corona wreck.
(Yukiyo Nagano, Reporter, Ministry of Economic Affairs)
Changes in the rental housing site
At this time of year, real estate companies in the city have the most rental housing brokerage of the year.
However, at this store in Tokyo, the number of room cancellations is increasing noticeably.
There are many reasons such as "going home" or "moving to a cheap room".
It is said that the number of procedures related to consultations from residents who have trouble paying rent and application for rent support benefits by the government is increasing.
Representative Uzawa
"It's difficult to pay rent. I'd like to apply for benefits, but I've received many inquiries about what to do. Even after the Lehman shock and the Great East Japan Earthquake, this did not happen."
According to a survey conducted last year by the industry group "Japan Rental Housing Management Association", 48.7% of member companies "increased rent reduction requests" due to the spread of infection.
26.7% answered that "the number of cancellations (movements) has increased".
Rapidly increasing housing benefit application
The national government provides living support that provides rent to people whose income has decreased due to lack of work.
It is a "housing security benefit" system.
The amount of benefits varies depending on the municipality and the number of households, but in the 23 wards of Tokyo, for example, 53,700 yen per month for single-person households and 64,000 yen for two-person households will be transferred to rental housing owners.
The aim of the system is to find a job and have the person rebuild their life while supporting the rent.
In fiscal 2020, the number of payments nationwide reached a record high of 119,265 in the nine months from April to December last year.
In fiscal 2019, there were 3792 cases, and in fiscal 2010 after the Lehman shock, there were 37,151 cases.
Just by looking at the number of cases, you can see the severity of the influence of corona.
Convergence of corona while there is a benefit
We talked to a couple who applied for benefits in January.
The residence is a one-room condominium of about 20 square meters, which is more than 30 years old.
My husband is 69 years old and lives on a pension.
My wife was a professional singer who sang at concerts, event venues, restaurants, etc., and earned about 150,000 yen a month.
However, in Corona, the event continued to be canceled and my wife's income was almost gone.
Now I rely on my husband's pension, savings, and benefits.
A man living on a pension
"I really appreciate the benefits. My wife has never done anything other than singing. I hope that by the time the benefits expire, the infection will be resolved and the singing business will be resumed. Until then, I refrain from doing it every day. "
End of payment coming someday
As a general rule, the payment period of benefits is 3 months, but it has been extended to a maximum of 12 months during FY2020 of Coronavirus.
However, for those who applied for and received the payment in April last year, even if they cannot find a job, the payment will end in March.
Some are worried that more occupants will be delinquent in rent when the impact of Corona is no longer supported by the record-high benefits.
How to get rid of "I can't rent a room"
Income has decreased due to the influence of corona, and more and more people are thinking of moving to cheaper rooms.
However, due to the difficult living conditions, you may be refused to move in because you cannot rent a room.
There is a service that started to reduce these cases as much as possible.
Rifle, which operates a housing information site, set up a special page in April last year when the new coronavirus spread.
We do not post property information such as room layout or distance from the station.
It is information of a real estate company that has announced that it will positively work on finding a house for people who are having trouble living due to a decrease in income.
Since the page was opened, the number of accesses has continued to increase.
A friendly door to find a place to live
At Rifle, we set up a site called "FRIENDLY DOOR" in November, and people who are "tend to be refused to move in" because of their age or income-the homes of elderly people, single mothers, foreigners, etc. We have posted information on 2475 stores nationwide, which companies have an understanding of what to look for.
This was expanded with Corona as a trigger.
Kyo Igun, the project leader, talks about the thoughts put into the site.
Mr. Kyo:
"For example, if you reduce your part-time job, your income will decrease, and you will have to pay the rent, it's okay for anyone to face it. It's not the situation you wanted, so you're in various positions. We do not refuse people from the beginning, but we carefully explain and negotiate with the owner, and we think that it is a door where you can meet people who will be friendly to find a place to live. "
Kyo also holds seminars to reduce the anxiety of owners and real estate companies who are worried about rent delinquency.
We are trying to expand acceptance by inviting representatives of NPOs that support the housing of elderly people and single mothers as instructors.
We are also exploring the possibility of creating a mechanism to support home search by connecting with NPOs and social workers.
Mr. Kyo:
“There are many things that can't be helped by our own efforts, such as the employment situation, and it can feel awkward. However, if more people think of the problems of people who have difficulty living as their own, they will gradually solve them. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for these sites. "
In order not to be in trouble to live
In the interview, it was pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen the "housing safety net system" promoted by the government.
If the owner registers with the prefecture as a house that does not refuse to move in, such as the elderly and people with low income, it is possible to receive assistance such as repair costs.
There was also an opinion that it is necessary to actively utilize the increasing number of vacant houses as safety net housing.
What kind of efforts will be made so that everyone does not have trouble living?
I feel that it is a challenge that Corona has posed to us.
Economy reporter
Sachiyo Nagano
2011. He joined
Gifuhosokyoku,
through the Kagoshimahosokyoku
incumbent