Don’t Evacuate Evacuees to National Public Service Housing” Support Groups Meet

June 14, 2022

In response to the Fukushima prefectural government’s decision to file a lawsuit demanding compensation from some evacuees who continue to live in the national public employee dormitories in the Tokyo metropolitan area, a support group for the evacuees held a press conference and appealed, “The prefectural government must not evict the evacuees with the help of the judicial system. The Fukushima Prefectural Government and other organizations have stated that the prefectural government should not use the power of the judiciary to evict evacuees.

According to Fukushima Prefecture and other organizations, 26 families who voluntarily evacuated from outside the evacuation zone after the nuclear accident are still living in the national public employee dormitories in the Tokyo metropolitan area, even after the free provision of rooms ended at the end of March 2009. The provision of free housing has been terminated at the end of March 2009.

Of these, 11 households living in national public employee dormitories in Tokyo and Saitama prefectures are suing the prefectural government for approximately 11 million yen in damages for emotional distress caused by being asked to pay twice the rent and being contacted by relatives to move out. They have filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court seeking approximately 11 million yen in damages.

The prefectural government has decided to submit a proposal to the June meeting of the prefectural assembly to demand that 10 of the 11 households suing the tenants vacate their rooms, claiming that it is difficult to settle the matter through negotiation. The prefectural government has decided to submit a proposal to the June regular meeting of the prefectural assembly demanding that 10 of the 11 households who filed the suit vacate their rooms.

In response to this, a support group for the evacuees held a press conference at the prefectural government office on June 14, and reported that many of the evacuees from the national public employee dormitories are elderly singles or part-time workers, and that it is difficult for them to move out, or that they have asked the prefectural government to allow them to stay at the dormitories until they can find a new place to live with the stipulated rent. However, the prefectural government refused and demanded compensation for damages.

He then said, “It is unacceptable for the prefectural government to evict evacuees from their homes with the help of the judiciary,” and appealed to the prefectural assembly to carefully deliberate on the proposal and reach a just conclusion.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/fukushima/20220614/6050018928.html?fbclid=IwAR0epeFhn3Yf7y_gqidVG3JRviCFJvbb6tOEpTGF9g5a01Xr9gkX2mLy9hE