Homeless Policy as a Policy for Controlling Poverty in Tokyo: Considering the Relationship between Welfare Measures and Punitive Measures

Abstract

In Japan, the increasing number of homeless people on the streets has been perceived as a social problem since the 1990s, and government policy regarding homeless people has been developed in an attempt to deal with it. This study examines the conditions of homeless people and describes how homeless policy started and developed in Tokyo, using the concept that homeless policy is a mixture of welfare measures and punitive measures. Examining the development process in three periods, it is pointed out that in the case of Tokyo, development of homeless measures has been influenced by the number of homeless people, reactions of homeless movement organizations, and public opinion. From the angle where punitive measures dominate, through to the point where welfare measures are superior, the aspect where punitive measures are dominant again supported by welfare measures.