[Housing Improvement and Development Corporation, General
Incorporated Foundation]
“Learning from British social enterprises: Rental housing that fosters “well-being” (a happy life unique to the individual)” Tomorrow’s Rental Project 5th Symposium will be held for free!
*Housing Improvement and Development Corporation*
Press release: September 18, 2024
**
“Learning from British social enterprises: Rental housing that fosters “well-being” (a happy life unique to the individual)” Tomorrow’s Rental Project 5th Symposium will be held for free!
*The 5th Symposium of Tomorrow’s Rental Project will be held! 10/22 (Tue) Free online participation*
* ◆Review the value of rental housing from a social perspective* In Japan, where a super-aging society is progressing, the proportion of single-person households exceeds 30%, household income is stagnant, and there is a large increase in the number of people living in difficult situations amidst an unstable economic situation due to rising prices. This has become an issue. Rental housing owners and tenants alike are faced with many concerns, such as an increase in vacant units due to population decline and the inability to live in the rooms they want due to worsening economic conditions.
Under such circumstances, I believe that one solution in the future may be to create a system for providing social activities and services based in rental housing, and that the results of these efforts will be shared with residents and residents. We thought that this would lead to the well-being of rental home owners and their own happy lives. We will also introduce the business model of a social enterprise in the UK, which has a tradition of charity and which creates a system to become a viable business while involving people who are interested in social issues.
In this program, we will introduce “social rental housing initiatives from an overview of housing policies in Europe and the United States,” learn about “the current situation in the UK where social enterprise activities are active, and examples of their activities,” and “future housing policies.” “What is necessary for housing as a foundation for well-being in Japan?”, “Successful examples of social enterprise managers in the UK that have created well-being and their hardships”, “Examples of initiatives based on rental housing in Japan” Introducing. We will then discuss the role of social enterprises and rental housing in fostering wellbeing in the UK and Japan from a field perspective.
The “Tomorrow’s Rental Project” symposium provides an opportunity to confirm the position of rental housing, and to think about “what is currently happening to rental housing” and “what can be done to solve the problems.” We have been holding symposiums since 2020 with the aim of providing the following. I would like to share new signs with you and deepen the discussion. Please join us.
*A social enterprise is a company that has a social purpose and is not operated for the purpose of profiting the owners or shareholders of the business, but rather by redirecting the profits earned from the business to the social purpose of the business or to the community. It is a corporate entity that invests and is continuously managed towards its objectives.
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October 22nd (Tuesday) 10:00-17:00 -YouTube Free Online Symposium- *Pre-registration is required to view. (Deadline: October 21st, 23:59) Special application site https://ashitanochintaipj.com/symposium5/
* ◆Background of the symposium 1. In Japan, the super-aging society and the increasing number of people living alone*
According to Japan’s future population projections, the total population will decline from 126.15 million in 2020 to 87 million in 2070. It is estimated that the proportion of people aged 65 and over will rise from 28.6% in 2020 to 38.7% in 2070. At the same time, future estimates of the number of households in Japan show that the proportion of single-person households will increase from 38.0% in 2020 to 44.3% in 2050, exceeding 40%. *1,2
On the other hand, looking at the trends in the distribution of the number of households by income level for each household over the past 20 years, the number of households earning less than 4 million yen has increased, while the number of households earning more than 4 million yen has decreased. You can see that there is a shift towards lower income groups. In particular, looking at the trends in the median income, it has decreased by 710,000 yen from 4.76 million yen to 4.05 million yen, with half of the households now earning less than 4.05 million yen. As long as the number of elderly people and the number of single-person households continues to increase, the downward trend in household income will likely continue. (See Figure 1)
Source: Created by the Housing and Town Research Institute based on the 2023 Basic Survey on People’s Living (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)
In addition, when looking at the average salary income by gender and age group, the average salary of women is lower than that of men, and the average salary does not increase even as the age group increases, indicating that single-female households are economically
disadvantaged. You can see that. *3
In 2018, the proportion of single-person households aged 65 and over living in rental housing was 33.5%, 2.14 million households, and if social enterprise businesses could provide the necessary support to rental housing tenants, their lives would become even better. I think so.
*1 Source: “Japan’s Future Population Projections (Reiwa 5 Estimates)” National Institute of Population and Social Security Research *2 Source: “Future projections for the number of households in Japan (national projections) 2024 projections” National Institute of Population and Social Security Research
*3 Source: “Reiwa 4th Private Sector Salary Statistics Survey National Tax Agency” National Tax Agency
* ◆Background of the symposium 2. While connections with people are decreasing, the role of the community is increasing*
Looking at relationships with people based on the frequency of conversations, single elderly male households have conversations “once every 4 to 7 days”.
Surprisingly, one in six people have conversations less than once every two weeks, with 12% and 15% saying “less than once every two weeks.” There is a need for a system for building rental housing and community building that naturally creates conversation.
(See Figure 2)
Source: “2022 Basic Survey on Social Security and Population Issues: Survey Report on Living and Mutual Support” National Institute of Population and Social Security Research
In addition, according to the “Tomorrow’s Rental Survey” conducted by our public corporation in 2021, households with various circumstances, such as “parents of households with children with congenital disabilities,” found that even if they were renters, they owned their own homes. Even in residential areas, we found that there is a significant need for community services that involve contact with people. (See Figure 3)
Creating a community service hub can be undertaken if the rental housing owner has the will, so rental housing may be more suitable than owning a home. If collaboration between rental housing owners, local people, the government, and social enterprises becomes a reality, I think we will move to a new stage.
Additionally, the Housing Safety Net Act has been revised, and mechanisms to support residents’ lives will receive more attention in the future.
Source: “2021 Tomorrow’s Rental Survey” Housing Improvement and Development Corporation
* ◆ Background of the symposium 3. Current status of social
enterprises in the UK * ~ Possibilities as a business that goes beyond social contribution
In the UK, social enterprises operate businesses that solve social issues and are integrated into the UK’s economic activities and government services. According to the “Status of Social Enterprises in the UK (2023)” conducted by Social Enterprise UK, an overview of the activities of social enterprises in the UK is as follows. (See Figure 4)
Catherine Hibbert, one of the keynote speakers at the symposium, runs a business that renovates vacant buildings in the UK into housing and provides them at low cost to people who want to volunteer.
Source: Social Enterprise UK website “Mission Critical – State of Social” From “Enterprise Survey 2023”.
https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/12/Mission-Critical-State-of-Social-Enterprise-2023.pdf
In Japan, social enterprises are also active mainly in the rental housing market, providing support to people in various positions, including rental housing tenants, rental housing owners, local residents, people working in social enterprises, and government officials. We hope that this symposium will begin to create
opportunities for people to realize their own well-being and live a happy life.
We look forward to your participation.
* ◆Recommended for the following people*
・ Those who are interested in building a community in rental housing ・ Those who want to be provided with rental housing that is close to the tenants.
・ Those who are interested in new rental housing management
・Those who are considering sustainable long-term management that can be passed on to the next generation
・ Those who are interested in the relationship between rental housing and welfare
・Those who are considering ways to contribute to society through rental housing management
・ Those who are interested in housing policy
・ Those who are interested in architecture and urban development ・ People who like rental housing anyway
* ◆Symposium overview*
■Name Tomorrow’s Rental Project 5th Symposium
～Learn from British social enterprises Rental housing that fosters “well-being” (a happy life unique to the individual)
■Date and time: Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 10:00-17:00
■Distribution method Live distribution on YouTube
■Participation fee: Free (data usage required for viewing will be at your own expense)
*Pre-registration is required to view. (Deadline: October 21st, 23:59)
Special website for application https://ashitanochintaipj.com/symposium5/ ■Sponsored by Housing Improvement and Development Corporation ■Sponsored by Japan Housing Finance Agency, Independent Administrative Agency National Federation of Housing Supply Corporations, etc.
Prefab Building Association, General Incorporated Association
Japan Rental Housing Management Association (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)
■Program
10:00-10:05 Greetings from the organizer
General Incorporated Foundation Housing Improvement and Development Corporation Chairman Akito Hieda 10:05-10:25 [Introduction] Considering housing policies in Europe, America and Japan from a social perspective
Mari Matsumoto, Director, Housing and Urban Research Institute, Housing Improvement and Development Corporation ■Part 1 Research Report: British Social Enterprises
10:25-11:05 [Lecture 1.] From the birth of British social enterprises to the present
Representative of Urushibara Architecture and Consultancy
Mr. Hiroshi Urushibara
(5 minute break)
11:10-11:50 [Lecture 2.] Examples of activities of social enterprises in the UK Noriko Otsuka, Senior Researcher, ILS Research gGmbH (Lunch break 70 minutes)
■Part 2: The role of social enterprises from the perspective of the UK and Japan 13:00-13:50 [Keynote speech 1.] Reforms in housing and urban development are born from policy gaps
Toshio Otsuki, Professor, Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo (10 minutes break)
14:00-15:00 [Case lecture 2.] Solving the UK’s housing crisis, making residents happy and building communities
Innovative methods to support
Dot.Dot.Property Inc. Founder and Chairman Catherine Hibbert
(10 minutes break)
15:10-17:00 [Panel discussion]
～Well-being (Happy life in one’s own way) @Rental housing
15:10-15:20 [Japan’s initiative example 1.] Let’s all build the city together! Enjoy Works Co., Ltd. Representative Director Kazunori Fukuda
15:20-15:30 [Japan’s initiative example 2.] Initiatives and future prospects for housing support projects that utilize vacant houses Mr. Tomoyuki Matsumoto, Representative Director of Rennovater Co., Ltd.
(10 minutes break)
15:40-17:00 [Q&A & panel discussion]
A panel discussion will be held with all speakers. We will be accepting questions from everyone during registration.