Assistance for Homeless People (ホームレス対策について)

[April 1, 2016]

After 1996, when the recession grew worse following the collapse of the economic bubble, Japan saw a drastic increase in the number of homeless people*, especially in metropolitan areas, which became a serious social problem. Osaka City was more seriously affected, due to the large population of workers in unstable employment, including day workers living in the Airin District, coupled with a high unemployment rate.

Against this backdrop, Osaka City worked with the national government to take drastic measures to improve the situation, while making concerted efforts to help homeless people earn their own living by launching Japan's first traveling consultation service, in August 1999, and the Self-Support Assistance Center program, in October 2000. In July 2002, the “Act on Special Measures concerning Assistance in Self-Support of Homeless” was enacted (the validity of this Act had been extended by 5 years, from 10 years to 15 years, in June 2012), which was followed by the national government's “Basic Policy for Assistance in Self-Support of Homeless” in July 2003.

Under this Act, Osaka City formulated the “Action Plan for Self-Support Assistance for the Homeless (FY2014–FY2018)” in line with the national Basic Policy and Osaka Prefecture's action plan.

Based on this implementation plan, in principle we will support the homeless people so that they can live a stable life with their own wills, center on respect for persons as we are going ahead the measures against homeless people, and comprehensively propel the policies of helping the homeless people realize self-support.

1. Outline of Osaka City's Action Plan for Self-Support Assistance for the Homeless (大阪市ホームレスの自立の支援等に関する実施計画の概要)

(1) Basic goals (基本目標)

To offer comprehensive support to help homeless people earn their own living
To offer life support to prevent workers in the Airin District from becoming homeless and help them earn their own living
To improve the local living environment
To protect human rights

(2) Policy goals (施策目標)

Osaka City has set policy goals focusing on admitting homeless people into the Self-Support Assistance Centers, facilities central to the city's homeless assistance measures, and assisting them in finding jobs that enable them to earn their own living, and implements the policy under its action plan (FY2014–FY2018) to achieve these goals.

2. Osaka City's Main Services of Self-Support Assistance (本市の主な自立支援策)

(1) Traveling consultation service for the homeless (ホームレス巡回相談事業)

Osaka City's consultation personnel visit with homeless people in several parts of the city and offer consultation concerning employment, health, and other matters, in order to help them settle their problems. If a homeless person wishes to return to their hometown, the consultation personnel contact their family members or acquaintances and make necessary arrangements. If a homeless person shows willingness to find a job to earn their own living, they encourage them to enter the Self-Support Assistance Center, and if a homeless person needs welfare service due to aging, disability, or illness, they act in cooperation with relevant organizations to ensure the required service is available to them. In this way, the city offers meticulous services tailored to individual needs.

(2) Self-Support Assistance Centers (自立支援センターの設置・運営)

Osaka City opened and operates two Self-Support Assistance Centers in the city to accommodate homeless people with the willingness to work for a fixed period of time and assists them in finding jobs that enable them to earn their own living. These centers provide accommodation and meals, as well as consultation on living, legal advice, health guidance, assistance in finding employment in cooperation with the “Hello Work” employment agency, and job placement service. Other services include: the Self-Support Assistance Center satellite service, utilizing small group homes and after-care service to ensure those who have left the Self-Support Assistance Centers will continue to work and live an independent life.

(3) Health and medical services (保健医療対策)

Doctors visit various parts of the city to offer consultation concerning physical and mental health.

Project of homeless people in cooperation with authorities concerned(関係諸機関と連携したホームレス対策事業)

・Services of the Homeless Employment Assistance Center (ホームレス就業支援センター事業)

Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City and nongovernment organizations have jointly established the council. In order to support people in Self-Support Assistance Centers to encourage employment and self-reliance and to provide opportunities of work to elderly day laborer in Airin district, we collect the jobs widely from private business operators and provide various job opportunities.

【Reference data】 Number of homeless people according to the nationwide survey (【参考】全国調査におけるホームレス数)

It is estimated that the number of homeless people in Osaka began to rapidly increase around 1996, reaching a peak in 1999, and then began to decline as a result of the successful implementation of various measures. Afterward, the number has increased temporarily, but recently continues to decrease.

(Reference) No. of homeless people (Source: Nationwide surveys)
	2003	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Osaka City	6,603	4,069	3,647	3,724	2,860	2,171	2,179	1,909	1,725	1,527
Nationwide	25,296	18,564	16,018	15,759	13,124	10,890	9,576	8,265	7,508	6,541

3. Human Rights of Homeless People (ホームレスの人々の人権)

There are great numbers of people who are forced to live in a park or station, and on road due to various reasons. There are plenty of people who can't find job in spite of willingness of independence to finding job and working to earn their lives. They are often looked at with biased eyes or discriminated. Besides, violent incidents against homeless people often happen, and brutal crimes that take life also occur. We can see contempt for these people underlying these incidents. To promote to change such consciousness, we should not loose a sense of the view, “Both human rights of homeless people and other people should be respected equally”.

With respecting basic human rights and obtaining corporation of local people, we are promoting comprehensive self-support ranging from work support, and hope you understand and cooperate with us.

Author of this Page/Contact (このページの作成者・問合せ先)

Osaka City, Social Welfare Bureau, Life and Welfare Division, Self-support Department, Homeless Self-Support Group
2nd fl., Osaka City Hall, 1-3-20 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8201
Telephone: 06-6208-7924 Fax: 06-6202-6961

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