Efforts to tackle homelessness in the Japanese city of Osaka are having knock-on effects that are resolving a series of other issues facing the metropolis – from illegally parked bicycles to abandoned dwellings.
Win-win solutions are being led by non-profit groups offering employment and shelter to people who have troubled backstories but still want to contribute to society.
Maintaining rental bicycles
Osaka’s large rental bicycle fleet HUBchari is not only a popular mode of transportation, but also employs 50 homeless people.
They are among a sizable workforce that maintains the electric bikes across more than 500 stations.
Kawaguchi Kana, the head of the NPO that runs the business, says it’s about more than employment. The convenience of a vast bicycle infrastructure that allows users to make bookings via smartphone targets another problem.
“Many of Osaka’s bicycle parking lots are full, so people park illegally all over the city. Those bikes are then often removed, which using rentals helps avoid. Because 70 percent of the homeless people I spoke to said they were handy at fixing bikes, I decided to bring the European-style rental system here,” says Kawaguchi.
One man who used to sleep on a park bench started work at HUBchari a month ago. He does everything from recharging batteries to fixing broken bikes and ensuring the tires are inflated.
“I had thought my life was essentially over,” he says. “But the non-profit asked me if I wanted to maintain their bicycles. I said I did, and they put me to work that same day. It felt amazing and made me want to save. So, I made 14 dollars, and saved half.”
Kawaguchi explains people in that man’s situation typically need to receive their wages as soon as possible, so “we pay in cash as soon as the work is complete so people can start saving.”
The Big Issue
Another organization is also helping people become independent.
A 58-year-old man who has been selling the Big Issue magazine on the same Osaka bridge for five years credits the United Kingdom-based social enterprise for turning his life around.
“I was at the end of my tether when I met the Big Issue representatives,” he recalls. “I’m here today thanks to the customers who buy the magazine from me.”
Takano Taichi, who runs the Big Issue Japan Foundation, explains the operation has expanded into other ways to help the homeless.
“We started out focusing on offering work and put all our efforts into that, but we realized to really be able to get people off the streets just creating a job wasn’t enough,” he says.
Filling vacant houses
Across Japan, about nine million houses lay vacant, a figure that represents nearly 14 percent of all homes. The foundation has found a way for some of them to be repurposed as so-called Step Houses.
They operate as temporary homes for people living on the streets, designed to help as a step out of poverty. For around 100 dollars a month, residents get a 50-square-meter apartment.
Koguchi Hideki, 56, moved into a Step House five months ago. Having a physical address allowed him to get an identification card and start applying for jobs.
“Without an address you can’t work, you can’t get a cell phone. But once you have an address you can find a job. To really become independent, having an address is crucial,” he notes.
Koguchi found work at a food stand and now hopes to open his own food truck.
More than 30 people live in the Step Houses, including older residents like 72-year-old Yokota Jiro. He says he’s glad to finally have a roof over his head, especially in his later years.
Yokota says the Big Issue Japan Foundation even supplies the appliances in the home, including a rice cooker. “To be honest, my life has changed drastically from what it was before. Thank goodness because I’m getting older.”
Yokota makes about 500 dollars a month selling Big Issue magazines. About 100 dollars of that goes to rent, leaving enough to set aside some small savings.
Foundation director Takano says living in Step Houses also allows residents access to government support. “Japan’s social security system, health insurance, pensions, everything, is directly tied to having a physical address, and a certificate of residence. Without that it’s extremely difficult to receive any of these services. If these vacant homes across the country can be used as Step Houses I think it would become a much better society.”
Owners of vacant homes, who are still required to pay exorbitant property taxes, are turning their attention to the Step House initiative. One woman says she convinced her relatives to sign up because the Big Issue pays a portion of the property tax. Plus, the family also receives nominal rent.
Operating as a Step House allows a temporary solution for the vacant home until the family ultimately decides whether to sell.
‘Asking for help is not our strong suit’
According to Nihon Fukushi University Professor Yamada Soshiro, many homeless men in Japan are reluctant to accept help because they don’t want to be a burden on society.
“Men who are middle-aged or older feel they need to take care of their own problems. You could say they’re not good at asking for help. That could be said of people in all walks of life in this country. Asking for help is not our strong suit.”
That’s also why it’s unusual to see people on the streets asking for money. One man who ended up working for HUBchari initially refused all assistance – but when the non-profit bicycle outfit told him they needed him to work, he started the same day. He wanted to do something that contributed to society.
Government survey findings
A Japanese government survey has found there are almost 3,000 homeless people across the country. That’s down from around 16,000 in 2008, but Professor Yamada says there are a lot of so called “hidden homeless individuals”, including people who live at internet cafes or with friends and are not counted in the government figure.
“If we include them, then the 3,000 or so officially homeless individuals is just the tip of the iceberg,” he says. “One reason people are struggling is that Japan’s wages are not keeping up with inflation. So, we are not yet in a situation where we can say that people’s lives are stable.”
The non-profits in Osaka are helping some of those people escape life on the streets… and find a new way forward. Along the way, fresh ideas are bringing about solutions that make for a better Japan.
