NANAO, ISHIKAWA PREF. – A ceremony was held in Nanao in Ishikawa Prefecture on Thursday to mark the completion of public housing built for people hit hard by the powerful Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024.

This is the first time that construction of public housing units for victims of the earthquake has been completed in the prefecture.

A total of 14 public housing units were built in a complex, with residents set to begin moving in next month. The complex consists of two- and three-story buildings and offers three types of layout, including one wheelchair-accessible unit. A community space has also been provided in the three-story building.

Referring to the completion of the construction, Ishikawa Gov. Yukiyoshi Yamano said at the ceremony, “This will be the first step toward the hope of transitioning to permanent housing for many disaster victims.”

Tomoyuki Oyama, 59, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the residents, expressed his gratitude, saying, “Wonderful homes have been built for us.”

The ceremony was also joined by Nanao Mayor Yoshitaka Chatani.

As of July 1, 14,836 people lived in temporary housing in the prefecture.

A total of 3,013 units of public housing for disaster victims are planned to be built in the prefecture. As of the end of June, construction had started for only 322 units, including the completed 14 units.