Cabinet order to raise public housing income limit to 380,000 yen

In the Official Gazette dated November 11, 2026, the Government promulgated Cabinet Order No. 346, the “Cabinet Order to Partially Amend the Order for Enforcement of the Public Housing Act,” which raises the income threshold for eligibility to reside in public housing from 350,000 yen to 380,000 yen. This order was enacted by the Cabinet based on the delegation of the Public Housing Act (Act No. 193 of 1951), and was signed upon promulgation by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tatsunori Ibayashi. While the enforcement date of the Cabinet Order itself is January 1, 2028, the calculation of income based on the new amount will apply from July 1, 2028 onwards, providing a grace period between promulgation and application.

The subject of the amendment is Article 1, Item 3(t) of the Order for Enforcement of the Public Housing Act (Cabinet Order No. 240 of 1951), taking a concise structure that simply replaces “350,000 yen” with “380,000 yen” within the text. This item defines the income requirements used to determine eligibility for public housing; the 30,000 yen increase affects both the eligibility screening of applicants and the determination of income excess after residency.

Confirming the Legal Basis and Scope of the Amended Article

The preamble of the Cabinet Order explicitly cites several clauses of the Public Housing Act as its basis. Although the amendment is limited to a single point in Article 1, Item 3(t) of the Enforcement Order, its effect extends to income determinations across a wide range of the Act.

• Public Housing Act, Article 16, Paragraphs 1 and 4 (Eligibility of Residents)
• Same Act, Article 23, Item 1 (Handling of Residents Based on Income)
• Same Act, Article 25, Paragraph 1; Article 28, Paragraphs 1, 2, and 4; Article 29, Paragraph 1
• The subject of the amendment is the part that changes “350,000 yen” to “380,000 yen” in Article 1, Item 3(t) of the Order for Enforcement of the Public Housing Act

Enforcement Date and Two-Tiered Transitional Measures

While the supplementary provisions set the enforcement date as January 1, 2028, the application of the new income threshold is staggered. The practical focus is the fact that the effective date of the Cabinet Order and the actual switch in income determination are not the same.

• Enforcement date of the Cabinet Order: January 1, 2028
• Start of application for the new Article 1, Item 3(t): Income calculations performed on or after July 1, 2028
• Income calculations performed before the same date shall still follow previous examples (350,000 yen)
• The new standard shall apply to applications made in response to public recruitment for residents starting on or after July 1, 2028, and applications made on or after the same date when there are grounds as prescribed in Article 22, Paragraph 1 of the Public Housing Act; applications made before the same date shall follow previous examples

Related Enforcement Orders Also Published in the Official Gazette on the Date of Announcement

In the Official Gazette of the same day, Cabinet Order No. 347, “Cabinet Order Concerning the Adjustment of Related Cabinet Orders Accompanying the Enforcement of the Act for Partial Revision of the Health Insurance Act, etc.,” was also promulgated and signed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. This order concerns the adjustment of related cabinet orders accompanying the enforcement of the Health Insurance Act and others, and is a separate cabinet order in a different institutional field from public housing.

For households considering moving into public housing, the timing of the application will influence the determined amount. For projects where public recruitment begins between January and June of the 10th year of Reiwa, calculations based on the previous 350,000 yen will be performed even if the cabinet order has come into effect; the determination will switch to 380,000 yen for projects where public recruitment begins in July or later. Implementing agencies must align the descriptions in the public recruitment guidelines with the new standards, and applicants and waiting households are required to plan their applications based on the application start date.

Sources

• Official Gazette, Wednesday, November 11, Reiwa 8, Cabinet Order No. 346, “Cabinet Order for Partial Revision of the Order for Enforcement of the Public Housing Act”
• Governing Law: Public Housing Act (Act No. 193 of 1951)
• Target of Revision: Order for Enforcement of the Public Housing Act (Cabinet Order No. 240 of 1951), Article 1, Item 3, (to)
• Signatories: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tatsunori Ibayashi