## 2 ) Utilization of private rental housing

From the viewpoint of enhancing the safety net function of private rental housing, information on private rental housing that accepts rental requests from senior citizens, disabled persons, foreigners and parenting families is provided through secure rental supporting business. Through different forms of housing support, measures are being taken concerning structural support related to rental for facilitating carefree housing rental.

### 2. Supply and Utilization of Quality Residential Land

## (1) Trends in land prices

According to the public notice of land prices in 2010, land prices dropped throughout Japan as they did in the previous year. The rate of decrease of land prices for the three largest metropolitan regions was bigger than that of the non-metropolitan regions and also the rate of decrease of commercial land prices was bigger than that of residential land prices. However, when looking at the movement for the three largest metropolitan regions on a half-year basis, the rate of decrease of the 2nd half was smaller compared with that of the 1 $ ^{st} $ half.

Moreover, according to the “Trend Report of the Prices of Intensively Used Land in Major Cities” (Land Price LOOK Report), the trend of decreasing prices is continuing but the margin of decrease is declining. In the Tokyo area, there are districts that are changing to an increasing or flattening trend from the $ 1^{st} $ to the $ 4^{th} $ quarter.

(2) Current situation and issues of residential land supply

In order to deal with the problem of declining populations and families, policy has changed from the old policy of active support on abundant supply of new residential land to the new policy of supplying residential land equipped with good living environments being based on regional characteristics. The projects that have been undertaken for the new town business operated by the Urban Renaissance Agency are being carried out. Also, development contributing to the enhancement of living environments and downtown living is being implemented intensively for the residential urban district fundamental development project $ ^{1} $ . Moreover, the supply of residential land with good living environments utilizing farmlands is being pushed forward through taxation measures and a combined system of farming and living $ ^{2} $ .

## (3) Utilization of fixed-term land leases

The fixed-term land lease is a system that creates a land lease contract with a prescribed non-renewable contract period and contract end date. It is an effective system for realizing the acquisition of good and cheap housing with low burden. The number of housing units with fixed-term land leases was over 70,000 as of the end of 2008. The yearly supplied unit increased further from 2007 and was the highest since the fixed-term land lease system was established.

Additionally, in terms of the development of conditions for smooth popularization of the system, the tax treatment of the prepaid rental system, which is the $ 3^{rd} $ one-off payment system after the deposit and key money, is defined.

## (4) Creating new towns

For the planned development of residential

urban districts (new towns), it is necessary to continuously utilize quality stock in order to deal with the issues of functionality renewal induced by decrepit housing or facilities and a decrease in families. In FY 2009, information on activity groups for area management of new towns was collected. At the same time, support is being provided to model activities.