ホームレス、７０歳以上増加　高齢化進む―厚労省調査

　厚生労働省は２６日、おおむね５年に１度実施しているホームレスの生活実態調査結果を公表した。７０歳以上の割合が３４．４％と、２０１６年の前回調査の１９．７％から大幅に増えた。平均年齢は６３．６歳と前回より２．１歳上昇し、高齢化が進んでいる。
　調査は２１年１１月、東京２３区や政令市などのホームレスに自治体職員らが個別面接を実施。１１６９人から回答を得た。回答者の性別は男性が９５．８％、女性が４．２％。
　路上生活の期間について「１０年以上」と回答した人は４０．０％と、前回から５．４ポイント上昇。厚労省担当者は「昔にホームレスになった人が年を取り、路上生活を続けている実態がある」と分析する。新型コロナウイルス感染拡大の影響で路上生活を行うようになったと答えた人は６．３％だった。（2022/04/26-21:23）

The proportion of homeless people aged 70 or over in the total homeless population in Japan surged to 34.4 pct in 2021 from 19.7 pct in 2016, a welfare ministry survey has found.
   The survey on people without housing, held about every five years, also showed that the average age of homeless people rose by 2.1 years to 63.6 years.
   In the survey, conducted in November 2021, homeless people in Tokyo's 23 special wards, ordinance-designated major cities and other cities were interviewed by officials from the municipalities. Answers were given by 1,169 people. Of the respondents, men accounted for 95.8 pct, and women 4.2 pct.
   The proportion of respondents living on the street for 10 years or longer came to 40.0 pct, up 5.4 percentage points. "People who became homeless a long time ago grew old and continue to live on the street," a ministry official said.
   Meanwhile, 6.3 pct said that they became homeless due to the impact of the ongoing novel coronavirus crisis.