Affordable housing for single mother in need

Single mothers and their children suffer stigma and are often refused tenancies on the assumption of being financially unreliable. The project aims to address the problems single mothers face by making use of ‘akiya’ within cities, providing them access to affordable homes and living support. Some 14% of Japanese homes, around 9 million dwellings, are sitting vacant. This is expected to reach 30% in 2030 as the country&#39;s population continues to decline. Many ‘akiya’ have been inherited by people who have no use for them and yet are unable to sell, because of a shortage of interested buyers. Given the financial constraints in dismantling thousands of ‘akiya’, the government has begun reusing them as affordable rental housing for low-income individuals and families. However, the process has been slow. Only a few ‘akiya’ owners gave permission for the government to re-use their houses. Additionally, any buildings suitable for affordable housing need to meet the government’s earthquake resistance standard regulations. The buildings which meet these standards are usually in high demand, can be rented on a commercial basis, and therefore are not available. <br />
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Japan has a culture that makes it difficult for women to work after having children and that makes life exceptionally harder for single mothers. Moreover, nearly 80% of divorces in Japan result in full custody for the mother and there is no system to enforce child support payments. Many single mothers are often unable to work or can only do so minimally. In addition, a culture of shame means they are looked down upon which has led many single mothers to hide their situation, even from friends and family. Such prejudices have an adverse impact on the country’s children. 16%of children ) live below the poverty line, increasing to 55% among single-parent families. A large proportion of these children are from households of single mothers.<br />
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Apartment owners often refuse single mothers as tenants on the assumption that they are not financially reliable. When they do find a place to live within a reasonable commuting distance, they often end up paying half of their income for rent and they are simply unable to support themselves and their children. This is particularly the case in Tokyo and other big cities in Japan where rent is very high. This difficult context highlights the importance of Little Ones’ project which is providing affordable housing and living support for single mothers and their children by reusing empty homes.