Curious about the bldgs with large numbers/letters on them...

[quietasariot]

While driving around, exploring, etc. I see a lot of buildings that all look the same. They are usually run down, sort of look like military housing but not quite, and they have really large letters and/or numbers on the sides. What kind of apartments are they? I'm just curious. There are some up near the Naval Underground Caves, some across from Camp Foster, and some across from Camp Kinser. I've also found some in Haebaru (I think, I was a little lost).

If anybody knows, tell me! I'm curious.

[TheNoNamedOne]

I think you are referring to danshi, which are public housing. Usually these are gotten by lottery, and in most cases low income families apply for them. Their rents are not fixed, but based on a person's/family's income.

A lot of them are run down looking, but there are some rather nice ones.

[Muku]

I think you are referring to danshi, which are public housing. Usually these are gotten by lottery, and in most cases low income families apply for them. Their rents are not fixed, but based on a person's/family's income.

A lot of them are run down looking, but there are some rather nice ones.
To add some more here, sure it's public housing yet there are two types.

First is the prefectural public housing called a ken ei danchi 県団地, they are built and run like it says by the prefecture.

Then there are village, town and city danchi. Built and run by the city or municipality. These are propably the run down ones you many have seen. The prefectural ones are in much better shape.

To identify which is which look also for the prefectural symbol for the prefectural housing or the symbol or flag of the municipality.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Flag_of_Okinawa,_Japan.svg/130px-Flag_of_Okinawa,_Japan.svg.png


Getting into a danchi is by lottery as TP says, however for the prefectural and some municipality danchi the rent is based upon total household income, not just the person who rents it out. It is a fine line but huge difference.

The danchi are there to assist people with low or no incomes and their families.

Yet the system got abused that some komuin or government employees and others lived in them, they had very high incomes and could afford different housing but stayed there to save money to build their own homes later. I know of a family with 5 working adults, with a combined monthly income of over $20,000.00 a month living in the danchi, needless to say they are no longer there. There are others like this one as well.

Hope that helps some.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Getting into a danchi is by lottery as TP says, however for the prefectural and some municipality danchi the rent is based upon total household income, not just the person who rents it out. It is a fine line but huge difference.

This also encourages young couples to not get married, or even to get divorced.

Often times a mother with her children will officially live in them and only report themselves as living in them and the rent will be based upon that income, but the father surreptiticiously lives there as well.

[Tempestuous]

This also encourages young couples to not get married, or even to get divorced.

Often times a mother with her children will officially live in them and only report themselves as living in them and the rent will be based upon that income, but the father surreptiticiously lives there as well.

See that all the time here as well.
Low-income housing for single Mum's to live at an affordable price & then they end up with dead-beat partner's moving in moochin off welfare checks & food stamps, not getting a job.
It is beyond frustrating!
Some of the apartments do go through and will put notices to those with unclaimed adults in the apartment, and boot them if necessary. But it is hard to enforce completely without involving law enforcement

[TheNoNamedOne]

Oh, I wasn't meaning my post to paint those fathers as dead beat dads mooching off the wife (though that does happen here, too). Often, this decision is a calculated one by both the wife and husband, merely as a way of getting cheaper rent and milking the system to their advantage a little more.

[Tempestuous]

Yeah, that happens too, they both work and have only the Mom's income claimed. Many times they are getting by enough by the system, they don't bother.
I will go change it to dead-beat partner. *smile* Cause not all of them are even the dad.
And they are dead beats if they can't be honest and provide for their family in an honest manner....IMO

[TheNoNamedOne]

I wouldn't refer to a father who has made a calculating decision with his wife in a way to stretch their funds so that they can provide for their children a little more as a dead-beat. Him and the wife "dishonest" and "defrauding" the government? Sure. But those are more appropriate words than dead-beat for this kind of situation.

Just the term "dead" imposed into "dead-beat" infers a high degree inactivity, and in the case I am using as an example, the father is still wholey active in the child's life and supporting the family -- in addition to the wife.

Since both have made the calculating decision to defraud the government, then would that make them a "dead-beat couple"? I don't think so, because there is nothing dead about them, as the term dead-beat is usually used to refer to non-activity or non-financial support for children.

[Tempestuous]

Since both have made the calculating decision to defraud the government, then would that make them a "dead-beat couple"? I don't think so, because there is nothing dead about them, as the term dead-beat is usually used to refer to non-activity or non-financial support for children.

In the US they usually aren't the primary provider/supporter of the children, the government is.

They utilize the $$ from their job to pour into their supped up cars, getting their nails & hair did, & buying name brand duds to strut around town in.
Their kids food, shelter, medical etc are primarily provided for from the governmental aide.

[TheNoNamedOne]

I see what you are saying about instances in the U.S., Temp. I don't doubt what you say is true.

I am just saying that a calculated decision to save money by defrauding the government for the benefit of the family (not supping up cars, etc...) does not lend itself to being labeled as "dead-beat." Such action on their part is in fact opposite of the term -- they are being pro-active!

[Muku]

I should have dropped by and replied to this before..sorry for the delay.

I know of families here that are up to their eyeballs in debt, they "officially" got divorced so the mother could collect more assistance benefits from the government and to make it easier for them to move into public housing.

If someone wants to call that fraud, well it could be looked at it that way, but another way to look at it is people using the system to their advantage. They have done nothing illegal, probably ethically wrong, but not illegal.

There is a big difference in the amount of money a single parent can receive from the government in assistance benefits. Even married couples with children here get tri-yearly child assistance payments based upon the number of children they have. I was getting 40,000 yen every 4 months, June, October and February, until my oldest daughter turned 20. Now it is 20,000.

I think the ceiling is families with incomes over @$100,000.00 are unable to collect. Which means a whole hell of a lot of people are eligible. Even if you have not applied for your children from birth they will make back payments as well. We received somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 yen in back payments.

Boy did this go off topic....big numbers on big buildings to big money in little pockets.:D

[quietasariot]

LOL, well, it turned into an interesting conversation :D I never knew most of that stuff and learning about Okinawa is always fun. :star:

[TheNoNamedOne]

Yes, Uchinamuku has supplied some nice details on the topic.