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U.S. Camp Zama looks for off-base housing units

In Kanagawa Prefecture, the U.S. Forces in Japan held meetings with local real estate agents with the aim of seeking their cooperation in securing off-base housing units available for military personnel and their families in preparation for the planned relocation of the 1st Army Corps to Camp Zama from Washington State.

According to an estate agent who attended the meeting, about 20 realtors who are contractors with the U.S. Atsugi Naval Base in Kanagawa met with U.S. military representatives last year and this year. They were told that those meetings were aimed at researching the off-base living environment.

Indicating the possibility of an increase in military personnel and their family members at Camp Zama, the U.S. side said they hope to work with the local agents to rent 400 to 600 housing units.

On April 7, when a group of the Upper House Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee visited Camp Zama, U.S. Army Japan Commander Elbert N. Perkins referred to the plan to set up a new Army headquarters there, and said that it will be good for the local economy because Camp Zama plans to rent private housing units for newcomers.

The Japanese government offers the "sympathy budget" to construct housing buildings on U.S. bases. However, because of a shortage of houses on the base, U.S. forces are renting them from private estate agents.

A realtor in Zama City said that U.S. forces have never asked for such a large number of housing units before.

On June 20, the Zama City Liaison Council against the U.S. Army 1st Corps Relocation to Camp Zama submitted to the government about 4,300 signatures in opposition to the relocation plan. Adding the 6,000 signatures the government received in March, the city council has already collected more than 10,000 signatures.

The Liaison Council is made up of local labor unions, peace and democratic organizations, and the Japanese Communist Party. -- Akahata, June 21, 2005