Officials in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, are working to reduce rent delinquency among low-income residents of municipal housing, by visiting defaulters individually and compiling custom payment plans.
They aim to support the public housing residents — half of whom are aged 60 or older — by giving advice on family finances and offering information on the social welfare services that are available. As a result of the initiative, the number of defaulters and the amount of unpaid rent have both dropped sharply, officials say. The payment rate posted a record high of 99.92 percent in fiscal 2018, up from 94.54 percent in fiscal 2013.
On the morning of Aug. 30, Yokkaichi officials responsible for municipal housing were visiting a 90-year-old man who lives alone. Asked whether he can be forgetful, the man said, "Sometimes I forget where I put my keys, that I left the water running and so forth."