Don't allow lodging business to profit from poverty!

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Don't allow lodging business to profit from poverty!

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Invited by a recruiter, "Come to our facility, and you can receive welfare benefits," a homeless man began staying at a cheap lodging house. A room there was segmented by plywood boards into small spaces and he got a space that was only a little larger than three square meters. For meals, he was given retort-packed foods and cup-style instant noodles. He then opened his bank account to which public welfare benefits were posted but his bank book was taken away. A large amount of the rent and the food bill were raked off from his welfare benefits each month. He could not even move out of the facility if he wanted to.

Article 25 of the Japanese Constitution guarantees the minimum standard of wholesome and cultured living to all citizens. Japan's public assistance system, which was supposed to exist to ensure this provision, has been used for a business taking advantage of the growing numbers living in poverty.

The Nagoya District Court in July handed down a guilty verdict to a major operator of lodging houses for tax evasion. The operator made 500 million yen in profits within only three years. The poverty business must be very lucrative.

When homeless people went to municipal welfare offices to apply for public assistance, welfare officers made them go away by saying, "You need a fixed address to receive livelihood protection." Malicious operators consider the situation as a business chance and make money by providing homeless people a space to stay so that they can apply for protection. Welfare offices then give protection assistance to applicants but do not care about how bad lodging conditions are. The offices see these operators as necessary evils and use them as usable accommodation providers.

The Social Welfare Act allows cheap lodging houses or facilities for temporary living to operate. However, it is against the law to confine residents to that kind of facility for years and hinder them from leaving the place in order to be independent.

The demand calling for the elimination of such questionable lodging houses has become a public issue. Many municipalities have decided to take measures to eradicate such accommodation operations. The Japanese Communist Party demands that effective regulations be established to prevent businesses from preying on the weak. It is urgently necessary to solve the poverty issue so that everyone in need can receive needed help.

- Akahata, August 18, 2010