# Chapter 4: Creating Comfortable Living Environments

## (1) Providing quality housing

## ○ Promotion of the Basic Plan for Housing (National Plan)

Pursuant to the Promotion of the Basic Plan for Housing (National Plan) (approved by the Cabinet in September 2006), MILT is currently promoting measures related to the accelerated stabilization and improvement of residential living standards, with the aim of attaining the following four goals: (1) the creation of quality housing stocks that can be used by future generations, (2) the creation of quality residential environment, (3) the establishing housing market appropriately meeting diversified housing needs of the citizens, and (4) the provision of residential stability for those whose housing needs. In FY2008, the “Conference for Promoting Measures to Stabilize Housing” was held and ministries concerned took part, in order to summarize and review the implementation of relevant measures, in particular, measures taken in collaboration with other sectors, such as measures concerning welfare and public security. In addition, in response to rapidly changing social environments, the ministry revised the Promotion of the Basic Plan for Housing (National Plan), in order to promote the popularization of Long-life quality Houses and the housing renovation in an urgent and focused manner so as to ensure high-quality housing stocks, taking into account that invigoration of housing investment is expected to ensure sustainable economic growth driven by domestic demand.

As a part of measures aimed at extending the lifespan of residences, the Act on the Promotion of Dissemination of Long-life quality Houses was enacted in November 2008.

Purpose and volume of public rental housing

Purpose	Volume provided
Publicly-Operated Housing	To provide quality, low-rent housing to people with lower incomes in need of housing	About 2.19 million units (FY2007)
Improved housing	To improve the housing environment of inferior residential districts and provide public rental housing for former residents in need of housing	About 160 thousand units (FY2007)
Rental housing provided by the Urban Renaissance Agency	To provide in metropolitan areas, through the development of residential city districts, quality rental housing — mainly family-oriented units, located within shorter distances of work places — that is not supplied by private business operators at an adequate level. (A rental housing system to support private business operators in providing family-oriented rental units was introduced in 2002.)	About 770 thousand units (FY2007)
Rental housing provided by Public Housing Supply Corporations	To supply quality rental housing in accordance with local demand	About 140 thousand units (FY2007)
Good Quality Regional Rental Housing	To help the private land owners the maintenance cost and rent was reduced and further action was taken to provide Good Quality Rental Housing for households with elderly and child-raising families	* Good Quality Rental Housing:
About 160 thousand units (FY2006)
* Good Quality Rental Housing for Aged:
About 30 thousand units (FY2007)
Rental housing financed by the Japan Housing Finance Agency	To expand loans to finance the construction of quality rental housing in a living environment suited to the elderly or child-raising families, or to finance the improvement of such housing, and to expand loans to finance the purchase of housing that has already been supplied to those whose main goal is to turn it to quality rental housing for the aged	—