Keeping those streets clean!

If you don’t clean up your garbage, we’ll do it for you, at the cost of your public embarrassment! It’s good to see that Adachi ward is doing its part to keep Tokyo clean. Now if only Kita ward would do the same, and maybe Shinjuku and Minato wards as well…

ごみ屋敷:ごみ撤去と 支援策の条例 東 京・足立区で可決

毎日新聞 2012年10月24日 19時34分

家の内外にごみをため込み、悪臭などを 発生させて周辺住民を悩ませる“ごみ屋 敷”をなくすため、ごみの強制撤去と支援 策を盛り込んだ条例が２４日、東京・足立 区議会で可決、成立した。

支援策は、ごみの撤去費用を賄えない住 人に費用を支出することなどを明記し、足 立区によると全国でも珍しいという。来年 １月１日に施行される。

区によると、１０月現在で区内のごみ屋 敷は３１。条例では、住民の苦情などを受 けて区が調査。ごみ屋敷と認定されれば （１）区が住人に対し指導や勧告（２）改 善されなければ、弁護士など有識者でつく る審議会に諮問し命令（３）正当な理由な く、命令に従わなければ氏名や住所を公 表し、ごみを強制撤去−−という順の手続き を定めている。

自力での撤去が原則だが、撤去費用が払 えない住人には、約１００万円を上限に区 が費用を出し、清掃業者に掃除を委託す る。また、区が町会や自治会などに片付け 費用を渡し、ごみの分別や搬出に協力して もらう。

ごみを片付けられない住人の中には心身 を病んでいる人もおり、区は医師や保健師 によるケアも検討している。近藤弥生区 長（５３）は「条例ができたことで一つ一 つ問題を解決していきたい」と話した。高 齢者世帯が増加していることや、街をきれ いにする運動に取り組んでいることが条 例制定の背景という。（共同）

http://mainichi.jp/select/news/20121025k0000m040030000c.html

Garbage Homes: Garbage removal and assistance measures passed in Adachi ward in Tokyo

A measure, aimed at removing so-called “Garbage homes” where trash piles up and the subsequent bad smells bother the neighbors, that requires enforced garbage removal and provides assistance measures was passed by the Adachi Ward council on the 24 th in Tokyo.

The assistance measures include help to cover the cost of removing garbage for residents who can’t do so otherwise, a rare step nationwide says Adachi ward. The measure goes into force the first of next year.

According to the ward, in October there were 31 “garbage homes” identified within the ward. Under the new rules, the ward must investigate any complaints from residents. If a residence is identified as a “garbage home,” the following procedure was agreed upon. 1) The ward must notify the resident. 2) If there are no improvements, an order must be written by an attorney or other knowledgeable person under the direction of a commission of inquiry set up by the ward council. 3) If no proper reason is given and the order is not followed, the name and address of the offender are to be publically announced and enforced collection of the garbage must occur.

In principle, the garbage must be self-removed, but if the resident is unable to afford the cost of removal, the ward will provide assistance funds up to 1 million yen and assign a cleaning service provider to the task. Also, the ward will pass on the cost of cleaning to neighborhood councils and require their cooperation in sorting and removal of the garbage.

Among residents unable to clean-up their garbage, there are some who are ill. The ward is considering providing medical care for these individuals. Ward chief Yayoi Kondo (53) said that “Through this measure, we want to resolve one by one all the problems that we can. “ The increase of the elderly population in the ward and efforts to keep the streets clean form the backdrop for this measure’s passage.