초고령사회의 고령임차인 주거문제와 일본의 주택세이프티넷제도에 관한 연구

A study of housing issues for the aged lessees in the era of a super-aged society and the Japanese housing safety net system

This research offers an analysis of the housing issues for Japanese aged lessees in the era of a super-aged society and the performance of the housing safety net system that was put in place to deal with such issues. This analysis is expected to have profound implications on the housing policy for the aged lessees in Korea that will need to be implemented in the era of the super-aged society that will come about by 2026. The analysis of this study resulted in the following conclusions. Firstly, the housing issue for the aged in the era of a super-aged society is greatly different from that in the aged society preceding the super-aged one. As most of the rental housing is occupied by the aged lessees, they have been unwelcomed in the rental housing market. The main reasons for this include such problems as solitary death, failure to pay the rent and the debt-guarantee fee for the rent, all of which are linked to issues likely to occur in relation to the aged. Secondly, effectively dealing with the issues requires more than the efforts of a local government that is usually faced with tight financial constraints. This is where a subsidy by the central government is needed, and the central government has to offer a guideline on the housing safety net for the aged lessees and help local governments to make appropriate policy decisions in consideration of the rental housing market in a particular area. Thirdly, the lessors, as well as the lessees, should be supported to establish a housing safety net for the aged. To this end, it is important to promote public-private partnerships and private organizations such as housing support councils and a corporate body for housing support. Fourthly, the analysis highlighted the importance of a flexible housing safety net for the aged that is operated by the local government. In short, it is necessary to understand and approach the housing safety net issue in terms of a local rental housing market. Finally, it is thus crucial to set up online information systems which will help the aged to search for proper rental housing and enable them to make an application for moving in, as they find it physically challenging to move around in search of suitable accommodation.