A study on the possibility and effects of local governments' housing policy (2)

Remaking of housing policy is requested because the present housing policy have come to deadlock. The objectives of the present study is to get a clue to the solution in the housing policy by a local government. Following the study of last year to grasp the status quo of the housing problem, this year we are focusing on the housing policy itself. At first we have collected and reviewed documents and information concerning the housing policy of Tokyo 23 wards' government as much as possible. In the housing policy of these years we found three points which former housing policy would not adopt : a) housing ordinances have been passed by the half of Tokyo 23 wards' governments, b) housing master plan have been adopted by the most of the governments, c) house rent subsidy policy have been adopted by some of the governments. 1. We found that these housing ordinances a) prescribe the housing standards only abstractly, which are left to another housing plan under the provision of the ordinances, and b) ask for development fee but do not require it compulsorily. These are because local government power is limited within the framework of national law in spite of its inadequacy. 2. The housing master plans present housing policies most concretely now and so they are worthy of notice. Reviewing them we found three further subjects : a) to connect with land-use plan closely, (but in order to do so our land-use plan and regulations are too loose), b) to establish the housing standard by each local government respectively according to their circumstances, c) to be sure to implement their plan. 3. House rent subsidy policy has been took to prevent the population from decreasing rather than to improve houses and their environment. It should be restructured from the viewpoint of housing policy. 4. In addition we surveyed what data concerning housing are stored by the local government. These data are important to adopt housing policy effectively. We find that there are many kinds of data in various departments, but they are fragmentary and not incorporated. In metropolitan region, not only the power of the local government concerning housing policy should be established, but also the policy to keep the balance between business and residential facilities should be taken from the viewpoint of regional planning. As to this subject, we calculated some interesting index, for example correlation between the increase of commercial floor and the increase of commuter to the CBD, and considered the way to correct the result, imbalance. We concluded that the policy to link commercial development to housing development, supported by development fee, office tax or other means, should be needed.