# Creating a Comfortable Living Space

## Section 1 Realizing Affluent Housing for People

## 1 Securing stability and improving housing for people

In accordance with the new release of the Basic Plan for Housing approved by the Cabinet on March 2011, covering from FY2011 to FY2020, to reflect the full-scale emergence of an aging society with falling birthrates, declining population and families, changes in the socio-economic climate, such as tough employment and income environment, needs for housing life support services and more, the Ministry advances the implementation of measures for securing stability, and improving housing for people in view of achieving the following goals:

① Establishment of the housing environment to support safe and secure housing life;

② Appropriate management and restoration of housing;

③ Development of the housing market environment that appropriately realizing varying housing needs; and

④ Stable supply of housing of those who particularly needs housing.

## (1) Establishment of the housing environment to support safe and secure housing life

To prepare a safe and secure housing and living environment, the Ministry promotes seismic strengthening and other forms of refurbishment for houses and structures as protection against disasters such as large-scale earthquakes, and the supply of “Housing with Supportive Services for the Elderly” as a mix of medicine, nursing care and dwelling, and also to secure housing in which elderly people can live with an ease of mind. It also encourages housing with better energy-saving performance, utilization of local wood, etc. to near the goal of realizing a low-carbon society.

The Ministry is also keen to preserve and form townscape and beautiful scenery to enhance comfort and affluence of housing while enhancing the convenience of houses and elderly people, etc. living in urban areas through promotion, etc. of downtown residence.

## (2) Appropriate management and restoration of housing

The condominium, as a substantial form of residence in Japan with 5.79 million units in existence by the end of 2011, creates various challenges in management, maintenance and revitalization to be addressed.

To make good use of the condominium stock, the Ministry held the workshop to discuss on revitalization of the multifamily housing stock and released a package of technical information for revitalization including the collection of specific construction methods.

To facilitate proper management of condominiums, the Ministry holds the committee to formulate new management rules for condominiums, to review issues including the use of experts in management, decision-making rules in emergencies such as natural disaster and provisions for eliminating antisocial forces.

To facilitate the retrofit and reconstruction of aging condominiums, the Ministry offers supportive measures in the form of grants, loans and tax incentives.

Under the Act on Facilitating Reconstruction of Condominiums, whole authorities, including accreditation of the reconstruction association, have been delegated from prefectures to city councils. A total of 65 condominium reconstruction projects had been accredited under the Act across the nation as of October 1, 2012.