The Center for Helping Each Other“JUNTOS News!”
2015.11.16 Issued

JUNTOS means“Together with” inPortuguese”

英語版

No.19

JUNTOS provides rooms , serves as a regional exchange center, works on a daily basis
for consultation about troubles you might have, and also rents tools for cleaning up sothat you can restore your lives and the Joso area may be reconstructed.
～ There is nothing different between nationalities. JUNTOS stands by you.～

Information from JUNTOS

250,000 yen support will be
provided for "partiallydestroyed" houses.
More than 2,700 houses were judged as "partially destroyed" by the government
after the flood. However, the National Act Concerning Support for Reconstructing
the Livelihood of Disaster Victims only covers the houses that are worse than"Severely Destroyed". Even if water didn't reach 1m above the floor level, and thegovernment judged the house as “partially destroyed”, owners had to throw away
a lot of furniture that was on the ground floor of their house and need a lot ofmoney to buy new furniture and to have their houses repaired.
Although fund raising came from all over Japan, it totaled just a small amount ofmoney (only 20 or 30 thousand yen) after reaching each victim because the huge
number of houses that were damaged by the flood. People are now asking thegovernment to review the support for "partially destroyed" houses so that victims
can get more financial support. For this requirement, the budget of 250,000 yen
support for partially destroyed houses is now under review by the prefecture andthe Joso City government.
As a result, financial support for “partially destroyed” houses, which has not been
covered by the national financial support, will value 817,000 yen maximum, after
combining the new financial support and Emergency Housing Repair. The newsupport system will be enforced after passing a vote of the congress of theprefecture and city. The financial aid will be paid into your bank account after you
submit an application to the local government. Applications were sent to victims
whose houses were judged as “partially destroyed”.

Special Edition: Extension of the support system for victims■ The income limitation of Emergency Housing Repair

is going to be removed.
Emergency Housing Repair is a support system under which the city
government gives financial support (maximum: 567,000 yen) to victims whosehouses are judged as being "partly destroyed" by the government, and is
waiting to be repaired. However, under the current system, if the damage levelof a victim's house is "partially destroyed", those victims cannot have financial
aid unless their annual household income is less than 5 million yen because of
the income limitation.
Many citizens asked the government to review this system because the income
limitation is an obstacle to victims who really need help. As a result of therequirement, Ibaraki Prefecture and the Joso City government promised tomake a new support system that gives financial support (567,000 yen) to each
victim's family who could not get financial aid under the current system. The
new system is supposed to begin after passing a vote at the congress of theprefecture and city.

■ Rebuilding farming facilities, and repairing and buying
farming machinery will be subsidized by the government.
Recovering a greenhouse (includes buying materials for repairs), trellis for
growing fruits, cattle shed, or repairing and buying a tractor, a rice-platingmachine and combine, are subsidized by the government.

*Amount of the subsidy: 30% of the cost of the investment will be subsidized by
the national budget.
(Total 60% after combining the prefecture’s and local government’s subsidy)*Application: a certificate from the local government.
*Requirements: You should have obtained a loan from a financial institution orreceived an additional budget from a local public body. The subsidy is only for
those who are going to farm.
*Subsidized investments: rebuilding or repairing facilities and machines becauseof the machine life expiring, starting construction work before a business plan isapproved by the government, of which the construction will start after a disaster,and so on.
*Deadline: The end of November, 2015.
*More information: ＜www.maff.go.jp/j/keiei/keikou/kouzou_taisaku/27_gou/index.html＞

■ The support system for small and medium enterprises
and business owners begins.
Emergency Housing Repair and the National Act Concerning Support forReconstructing the Livelihood of Disaster Victims covers owners of a house, theNational Act Concerning Support for Reconstructing the Livelihood covers those
who had rented a house. On the other hand, for business owners, there is noother support but a public loan. Therefore, it is still difficult for business owners
to continue their business.

For this reason, the government decided to make “the Support system for theContinuation of Small and Medium Enterprise's Businesses Damaged by aDisaster”. Under this system, enterprises or business owners (includingapartment owners) may be subsidized when they buy or fix machines orfacilities for their business (maximum: 500,000 yen). The new subsidy will be
enforced after passing a vote of the congress of the prefecture and city.

■ National Health Insurance premium will be exempt
If you received “a disaster afflicted housing certificate” issued by the local
government and submitted an application for the exemption, your national healthinsurance premium will be exempt. Fill in the application and submit it to the help
desk of the local government or send it by the enclosed self-addressed envelope.
A full exemption is for the level of "completely destroyed" and a half exemption isfor the levels of "partially destroyed" and "severely destroyed". In addition, if yourhousehold income could be less than that of 2014, you might get the exemption
under any damage level. Please ask the help desk of the Health Insurance
Department of the local government.
The term of the exemption is between September 2015 and August 2016. Finally,
the latter stage elderly health care system premium, the nursing-care insurance
premium and the national pension premium might be partially or totally exempt,
depending on the level of the damage. More information: please ask the localgovernment's desk.

■The second public offering of the Free Housing Service is

now open!
For a limited period, the government is offering free housing for victims who losttheir house that was completely destroyed or those whose houses are partially(severely) destroyed but can be no longer fixed by Emergency Housing Repair.
The term that you can live in free housing depends on the situation of each house.
You cannot take this offer unless you have already used the Emergency Housing
Repair service. From November 15th to 19th, the second public offering of the freehousing is going to be held. In addition, there is another free housing service inwhich the local government rents apartments. It is limited for victims whose houses
were completely destroyed.

Let's Revive Our City!
JUNTOS, a help center which is mainly active in Morishita-machi, Mitsukaido, isoffering not only multilingual information but also a transportation service for those
who cannot go out, a lending service (trucks or other equipment for cleaning) and adelivery service of supporting materials for victims who are supposed to move outof a shelter. We are planning a salon in the city where victims can meet again, talkand share information while having something hot to eat. JUNTOS is advertising forvolunteer work (driver, distributor of flyers and materials, people to help at thesalon, translators). Please join us. Anytime is OK. Please refer to the contact list
below.
Two months has passed since the flood happened. Many people moved out of thecity, and differences of restoration between each region and family have been
increasing. A double life of those who moved out of the city, in which they make around trip between their new home and hometown, is a heavy burden for them.
Through our survey, we found that what most people feel anxious about is a bleak
outlook for their livelihood in the future. These are our problems that we must
consider. Let's overcome the difference between regions, level of damage, andnationality and work together to revive our city.

Field:

Our Activity:

What kind of volunteers:

J Joho(Information)

Offering information for victims
through JUNTOS magazine and themultilingual radio program.

・Gathering and editing of informationfor victim's livelihood
・ Distribution and advertisement of themagazine.

U UntenTransportation service, car sharing

・Driver

Repairing houses

・Repair volunteer(Driving)

N Naosu(Repairs)

T Todokeru(Delivery)

O Ohanashi(Talking)

S Sumu(Living)

Survey for needs and delivery andmaterial for victim’s houses withyour hospitality
Events where residents can meetup, food distribution, salons and soon.
To make a community in the newcity after moving, a nursing home.

・Sorting and delivery volunteer

・A footbath volunteer, a volunteer
counselor
・A food distribution volunteer・Volunteer coordinator

Publisher: JUNTOS HELPING CENTER
TEL: 090-6568-9930(10:00AM to 4:30PM)
ADDRESS: 4346-3, Mitsukaido, Morishitamachi, Joso-shi, 303-0005.
LAND MARK: Kitamitsukaido(North-Mitsukaido)Station on Kantotsudo-Joso line.
Near “COCOs” at 357 Prefectural Road.

北水海道駅
ココス様県道３５７
JUNTOS↓ 水海道駅