4 Years On: 60 Pct of Tsunami-Hit Families Secure Homes

Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)--In the coastal areas of the three northeastern Japan prefectures that were hit hardest by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, about 60 pct of families that lost their homes in the disaster have secured permanent accommodation. Many families in the disaster-hit areas of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures were forced to live in temporary housing after the massive tsunami severely damaged, destroyed or washed away their homes. Four years on, a growing number of people living in temporary housing have found ways to rebuild or repair their original homes, or have moved or are moving into public housing allocated to tsunami survivors. Under the law to support disaster victims, basic financial aid for households severely affected by the disaster have been granted to 166,490 recipients in 36 municipalities in the coastal areas of the three prefectures, according to data compiled at the end of January. Of them, 95,342 households, or some 57 pct, have received additional aid to rebuild or repair homes or live in rented accommodation. In Miyagi, 124,841 families in 15 municipalities have received the basic aid and, of the total, 62 pct have been able to secure permanent accommodation with the additional assistance because many damaged homes have found to be repairable. In Iwate, 43 pct of the 22,576 households that received the basic aid have secured permanent homes, while the figure came to 63 pct of the 19,073 families that received the aid in Fukushima. Meanwhile, 4,566 public housing units for disaster victims have been completed. Such public housing is scheduled to be built in 32 municipalities in the three prefectures, and all 2,488 units in six municipalities in the coastal areas of Fukushima are expected to be ready within fiscal 2015 starting April 1. In Iwate and Miyagi, more than 90 pct of housing units to be supplied will be constructed by the end of fiscal 2016. On the other hand, municipal programs to develop new residential areas and supply land lots to relocate residents in coastal areas have failed to show substantial progress so far. Iwate targets supplies of 8,000 lots, including in upland areas for collective relocation, but only some 7 pct is complete. Of the 5,600 households that received the housing-related additional financial aid, about 4,000 have found residential lots themselves, according to the Iwate prefectural government. Some families have built homes without waiting for land to be provided, an official said. In Miyagi, the city of Ishinomaki plans to supply 3,000 lots, the most among the 36 municipalities, but a little less than 10 pct have been ready. Work to develop building lots is likely to peak during fiscal 2015, since land acquisition has almost been over, an Ishinomaki officials said. END