“Internet Café Refugees” in Tokyo, Japan
Sakura Murakami of the Japan Times explores the findings of a recent survey on homelessness conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The survey, conducted from November 2016 through January 2017, probed 502 24-hour internet and manga cafes in Tokyo and the customers that occupy them. According to the findings, of the 15,000 people who occupy the cafes during the week, about 4,000 are experiencing homelessness and use the cafes as a means of shelter. Metropolitan government spokesperson, Hiroyo Watabe, suggests that the high number of people in their 30s experiencing street homelessness may be the result of the 2008 global financial crisis, while the large number of middle-aged people captured within the survey may have a difficulty finding employment.
Read the article here.
New Meters in L.A.’s Grand Park Will Fund Homelessness Outreach
“This is a way for people to give. And it’s going to be right before them when they’re walking down the street,” said Councilman Jose Huizar. Emily Alpert Reyes reports on a new effort to support homelessness outreach work across Los Angeles, California. A number of machines, that resemble parking meters, are being installed across L.A. to collect donations to support the City County Community program. In addition to the donations given from local residents and visitors, the meters will generate money through sponsorships that cost $3,500 annually.
Read the article here.
Rough Sleeping in Watford, England Decreased By Half
Findings from the most recent point-in-time count conducted by Watford Borough Council, New Hope, and Homeless Link, indicate that rough sleeping has reduced in Watford since last year. Councilor Peter Taylor attributes the stable decline to collaborative efforts among local leaders and service providers. In particular, the Watford Strategic Homelessness Forum was assembled for the exchange of knowledge about homelessness and solutions to drive reductions.
Read the article here.
Seoul City, South Korea Reports 82% of Those Who Received Temporary Housing Support Still Housed
According to Notched News, over 1,000 people experiencing homelessness received temporary housing support from Seoul City in 2017. Yang Seungjin reports that of these, 82% have maintained stable housing since the end of their six-month housing support period. In addition, the city provided public and private jobs to about 239 people.
Read the article here. (This article’s original text is in Korean)
Learning From Youth with Lived Experience of Homelessness in Canada
In the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness’ (COH) latest blog, Kaitlin Schwan, shares takeaways from Canada’s national consultation on youth homelessness prevention. The consultation sought to help determine what it would take to prevent homelessness and how to get there. Over the past six months, A Way Home Canada, COH, and other Canadian agencies joined efforts to gain insights from young people with lived experience of homelessness. Taking a proactive approach to homelessness among young people and addressing shortcomings across public systems — education, welfare, and healthcare — were two findings from the consultation.
Read the blog post here.