Welfare shelters (Special evacuation sites)

For those who have difficulty evacuating at evacuation shelter or at home in the event of a large-scale disaster, Yokohama City has entered into agreements with social welfare facilities in the city and has positioned it as a special evacuation sites.
From April 2018, the name will be changed to "Welfare Evacuation Center", which is widely used nationwide.

• If you are unable to live at home due to a large-scale disaster, you will have to live an evacuation life in evacuation shelter, such as elementary and junior high schools in the city.
• For those who need assistance, such as the elderly, children with disabilities, pregnant women, infants, etc., who have difficulty in evacuation life at gymnasiums, etc., each evacuation shelter will secure space for those who need assistance.

→Nevertheless, welfare shelters are secondary shelters to accept those who find it difficult to evacuate in evacuation shelter.

• For those who have difficulty maintaining their lives in evacuation shelter or at home and need special consideration.
• Professionals (public health nurses) check the situation of the person and the presence or absence of certification for long-term care, and determine the necessity of evacuation to a welfare evacuation center.

• In order for welfare shelters to fulfill the necessary functions and roles, those who are not judged to be eligible cannot evacuate.
• Welfare shelters are not always established immediately after a disaster occurs.
• In principle, travel from evacuation shelter should be moved by the person or family.

Social welfare facilities that have concluded agreements with ward offices (elderly facilities, facilities for the disabled, community care plazas, etc.)

Ｑ： What kind of facility is a welfare shelter? What kind of equipment and support are available?
Ａ： It is social welfare facility such as facilities for the elderly, facilities for the disabled, and community care plazas that have concluded an agreement with the ward office.
In an environment where people in need of assistance can easily live, such as facilities being barrier-free, you can receive support as much as possible according to the situation of the facility.
Even welfare shelters, you will have to live an evacuation life while helping each other in cooperation with the surrounding evacuees.

Ｑ： When will the welfare shelter be opened? Who can evacuate?
Ａ： Welfare shelters are not always established immediately after a disaster occurs.
The ward office will request the establishment in order from the facilities where safety has been confirmed and the operation has been prepared.
In order to make effective use of limited resources, it is necessary to identify the situation of people requiring assistance after the disaster and evacuate from the highest priority.

Ｑ： What are the criteria for accepting welfare shelters? Who decides how and how?
Ａ： As welfare shelters are limited, it is difficult to accept all eligible people in need of assistance at once.
Professionals (public health nurses) determine who need more assistance from those who have evacuated to evacuation shelter (or from information on people requiring assistance collected in evacuation shelter).
Based on the judgment of professionals, the ward office decides who to accept at which welfare shelter.

※In the event of a large-scale disaster, those who have been certified by The Long-term Care Insurance in the event of a large-scale disaster, who have difficulty living in evacuation shelter or at home and need assistance from facility staff may be accepted.

Health and Social Welfare BureauHealth and Welfare Division