Nagoya Offering Shared Housing Opportunities for City's Elderly

The city of Nagoya launched a shared housing project for senior citizens in December 2012, aiming to help single people aged 60 or older to live more safely and securely. In this project, called Nagoyaka Home, a few senior citizens live together in family-size units in municipally owned condominiums, with support from non-profit or other organizations. The units became available in March 2013.

Under this project, the city permits the organizations to use the municipal condominiums for purposes other than their original intent, while the organizations invite renters (in cooperation with the city) and conclude a contract with them. The dwelling units are designed for either two or three persons, and the rent is around 30,000 yen (U.S.$306) per person. Benefits include having one's safety confirmed, lifestyle guidance, and support creating rules for harmonious communal life.

Each resident has a private room, and can use a shared kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and restroom. Shared spaces are equipped with a cooking stove, water heater, refrigerator, television set, dining table, and washing machine.

Nagoya City offered one such residence on a trial basis in 2011 and then decided to expand this project, in an attempt to prevent single senior citizens from dying alone and provide them more opportunities to live in municipal condominiums. The name for the Nagoyaka Home project is a combination of the name of the city of Nagoya and the word "nagoyaka" (which means warm and friendly in Japanese) with hopes of helping single senior citizens lead more fulfilling and enjoyable lives.