in the Ibaraki and Hitachi-Naka ports zone in July 2012.

## Section 3

## Promoting Post-Disaster Town Reconstruction and Securing Stability of Residency

To give the disaster victims a prospect as to when they will be able to secure a residence, we are working on the promotion of post-disaster town reconstruction and securing stability of residency, taking into account the “Residence Recovery Construction Time Table” which organizes prospects for the provision of building lots for private residences and the completion of disaster public housing based on reports from the local governments. As the reconstruction projects progress full-scale in the disaster affected areas, we need to compensate for the lack of personnel and know-how in the disaster affected municipalities, to help the projects progress smoothly.

For these reasons, in addition to supporting the progress of projects by providing personnel support to disaster-affected local governments, implementing procurement methods for relieving the burden of procurement operations in disaster-affected local governments, and utilizing the Urban Renaissance Agency, we also disseminate information by providing technical support through notifications regarding procedures for the efficient execution of reconstruction projects, and also by posting the “Reconstructive City Development INDEX,” an online website for compiling support initiatives.

## (1) Promoting Post-disaster Town Reconstruction

For post-disaster town reconstruction, various projects are being carried out, such as the “disaster prevention group relocation project” which helps people whose homes are in the zones considered unsuitable for residence, and the “disaster urban area land recovery and readjustment project” which supports comprehensive town building by combining work on the public facilities such as building sites and roads with the site reconstruction work on tsunami disaster affected urban areas, as well as the preparation of building sites for relocation to higher grounds.

By the end of March 2015, the disaster prevention group relocation project had already secured the consent of the Minister—which is the legal procedure for undertaking projects—for projects such as the relocation of group to upland, and of all 331 districts scheduled to be relocated, construction works have already commenced on 326 districts based on the “Residence Recovery Construction Time Table.” For the land readjustment project, project approval has been received and construction has begun on the 50 districts based on the “Residence Recovery Construction Time Table.”

## (2) Securing Stability of Residency

For victims who are able to build or obtain housing by their own means, interest rates were lowered for disaster recovery housing loans provided by the Japan Housing Finance Agency. Disaster recovery housing loans were also provided to victims who only suffered damages to their real estate. Pre-existing loans were given up to 5 year extensions on payments and payment deadlines, as well as interest rates being lowered for loans amid payment.

Victims who face difficulties in building or obtaining housing by their own means are being provided public housing (disaster public housing) by local governments. In addition to distributing grants to offset the cost of maintenance in these facilities and expenses resulting from lowering rent for victims, we are devising special arrangements concerning the requirements for occupant qualification and assignment of housing facilities.

Moreover, in response to the Fukushima No. $ ^{1} $ Nuclear Power Plant Accident, we plan to secure the stability of residency for the refugees residing in evacuation order areas (evacuees) by providing them the same accommodations as the disaster victims, such as moving into disaster public housing.