A study on the possibility and effects of local governments' housing policy (1)

The housing problem centering on big cities became more acute in the late 1980s due to the rise of land values, etc. The objectives of the present study is to find out, as its basic theme, what housing policy should be taken to settle the problem, particularly paying attention to the housing policy of a local government to clarify its role and effects. This is because a local government is in a basic place of life of inhabitants and only a local government can develop a comprehensive policy which prevails over a simple public housing supply. For the present study spending 2 years, the objective in the first year is to grasp the housing problem of the whole Tokyo Major Metropolitan Area (M.M.A.), and clarify the practical and present status of the housing policy of local governments at Tokyo 23 wards. In the first half, change in the housing status as a back-ground of setting up the local government policy was investigated as to Tokyo M.M.A. and Greater Tokyo (Tokyo-to). The basic arguing points are identical to those already indicated by various reports in the past. That is, they will clarify the facts that the previous problems are still remaining as they are, that new problems are accumulated therein and that the postwar housing policy cannot be practical any more. Most of the study is to grasp the changes in the attitude for the housing policy of Tokyo 23 wards' governments. As various policies have been developed in each wards, we tried to arrange arguing points of them picked up as much as possible. Especially we tried to grasp them by 2 points, 1) what housing policy have been taken against the rise of land values, 2) how the local governments synthesize housing policy with other policies. In the former, house rent subsidy policy and affordable housing of private sector by public support are major themes. In the latter, establishment of the subjectivity of the local government mentioned in the Housing Act and its synthetization with the housing policy are major themes. From the aforementioned study, the following are mad e new subjects of the study; a. Logic of “Publicity” and effect of various housing policies' means. b. Practical status and its ideal stand of mutual relation in policy making at each administrative level. c. Concrete grasp and estimation of the policy effect of the urban, housing, building policy.