(d) Promotion of measures for vacant houses

The Vacant Houses Special Measures Act was fully enforced in May 2015. Municipal governments are driving forward the Vacant Housing Countermeasure Plan according to their local circumstances, as well as use and removal of vacant houses and buildings.

(4) Assuring housing stability for those who require special consideration for housing

### a. Supply of public rental housing

To deliver public housing supplied by local governments to low-income earners in serious need of housing, and to promote the supply of quality rental housing to households consisting of elderly people who need special consideration to stabilize their housing, the MLIT set up the Regional Excellent Rental Housing Program as a scheme that complements the public housing and subsidizes the expenses incurred for the development of public rental housing and also for the reduction of the rents.

In addition, in order to secure a housing safety net for persons who are forced to leave their homes for such reasons as dismissal from work, we have taken measures to ensure stable housing for displaced workers, including the simplification of procedures for allowing such workers who are not originally eligible to use vacant public housing and other such facilities.

Figure II-5-1-1 Purposes and Results of Public Rental Housing

Purpose	Number of houses managed
Public housing	Supplies quality rental housing to low-income earners who are in serious need of housing with low rent.	About 2.16 million houses (FY 2014)
Improved housing	Supplies public rental housing to existing residents who are in serious need of housing in a deteriorated residential area.	About 150,000 houses (FY 2014)
UR Rental Housing	Supplies quality rental housing that is conveniently located for access to work, focusing on family-oriented rental housing hardly in ample supply from private business entrepreneurs, in major urban areas, as well as develops residential districts (since FY 2002, a privately supplied support rental housing program has been launched to support the supply of family-oriented rental housing from private business entrepreneurs)	About 750,000 houses (FY 2014)
Agency rental housing	Supplies quality rental housing to meet the regional demand for rental housing	About 130,000 houses (FY 2014)
Regional excellent rental housing	Provides subsidies to private land owners to fund maintenance and other expenses and cover rent cuts to provide quality rental housing for households consisting of elderly people, child-raising families, etc.	- About 122,000 designated excellent rental houses (FY2014)
- About 41,000 designated excellent rental houses for elderly people (FY2014)

(Notes) 1 The number of rental houses managed by the Urban Renaissance Agency includes the subsidized rental housing with high quality for elderly.

2 The number of public rental housings does not include those of the Specified Good Rental Housings and Subsidized Rental Housings with High Quality for Elderly.

3 The Specified Good Rental Housings Institution and Subsidized Rental Housing with High Quality for Elderly Institution were reorganized and the Regional Good Rental Housings Institution established in FY2007.

Source) MLIT

### b. Using private rental housing

In order to facilitate the promotion of smooth move-ins to private rental housing by people such as the elderly, disabled, foreigners and families with small children, we are providing housing assistance such as information services and consultation services through the Housing Assistance Council (60 councils (46 prefectures and 14 cities) established as of the end of FY 2015), which is made up of local government, real estate related organizations and housing assistance organizations.

## 2 Supply and Utilization of Good Housing Land

## (1) Land price trends

The official land prices in Japan for 2016 (as of January 1, 2016) showed that the average residential land price declined but the rate of decline was smaller compared to the previous year, while the average commercial land price increased by 0.9%, compared to 0.0% in the previous year. The average land price of all categories of land use rose for the first time in 8 years since 2008. Land prices in major metropolitan areas increased slightly for residential land, and commercial land price rose for three consecutive years. In regional cities, both residential land and commercial land prices continued to decline, but the rate of decline was smaller, and the average land price of 4 cities—Sapporo-shi, Sendai-shi, Hiroshima-shi and Fukuoka-shi—showed an increase that is higher than that of the three major metropolitan areas for both residential and commercial land prices.