Housing Problems of Single Parent Families in Japan

Abstract

Single parent families are increasing due to divorce in Japan, and they have several problems in metropolitan areas. Most single parent families are women-headed families, and many mothers have multiple responsibilities, for example, finding a job and working, housework, childcare, and nursing. In spite of the high rent, single parent families tend to migrate to urban areas, because it is easier to find jobs and they can be freer from prejudices in urban areas than in rural areas.
This paper aims is to clarify the regional differences in the housing conditions of women-headed families in Japan. The paper also tries to consider the housing conditions in welfare facilities for single parent families and their residental lives in metropolitan areas and local cities.
Single parent families usually face serious housing problems. When women-headed families cannot find a place to live in the private housing market or they must be sheltered from domestic violence, some families are permitted to live in welfare facilities for single parent families. However, those facilities are provided only for temporary users. According to questionnaire results from sampled facilities in Tokyo and suburbs, the Kanto region, the Osaka metropolitan area, and Ishikawa and Hiroshima Prefectures, it is clear that the reasons why single parent families enter welfare facilities differ by region. Most dwellers entered when they divorce. But in Tokyo, the rate of runaways from home is higher than in other areas. Many dwellers were victims of domestic violence and needed shelter urgently.
Half of dwellers in the facilities are in their 30s, and became single parents due to divorce. In the Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan areas there are many unmarried young residents with infants. While many middle-aged dwellers use the facilites in suburbs and local cities.
It is hard for single parent families to find jobs because they must take care of their children. Consequently, many dwellers in the facilities receive livelihood assistance. Their jobs are very unstable and low income, because most of them are part-timers. Some dwellers cannot find jobs because they are mentally disturbed as a result of domestic violence.
It is difficult for most single parent families to move out of the welfare facilities because it is very costly for women-headed families to live in privately rented houses. It is difficult to get the permission to live in public housing, because the supply of public housing in Tokyo is extremely fewer than demands of single parent families.