Japan's worsening women poverty linked to abusive free‑low‑cost shelters

Advocates and a network of anti‑poverty volunteers report that the share of women among people seeking emergency assistance in Japan has risen sharply since the COVID‑19 pandemic. Women contact the "Life and Living Protection" phone‑in service with stories of overwhelming debt, insufficient welfare support, and the inability to cover basic expenses such as utilities and food.

During the pandemic, the Tokyo metropolitan government temporarily placed homeless people, including many women, in business hotels, which was described as a “revolutionary” step that helped prevent further deterioration. That programme has now ended, and those without housing are again directed to free low‑cost shelters. Reported conditions in these shelters include unsanitary shared rooms, exorbitant fees that drain welfare payments, and coercive practices such as demanding that residents hand over cash‑cards, with threats of eviction if they refuse.

On July 17, a meeting of municipal council members, support workers and volunteers, including Daisaku Seto of the Anti‑Poverty Network, discussed how to improve shelter standards and protect women who are excluded from the formal “difficulty‑women support law.”