On Mid-Autumn Festival Day, the moon always seems brighter than usual. However, to victims of the Sept. 21 earthquake, the day will be no cause for joy this year, as it falls on the third anniversary of the devastating quake. Quake victims who still live in temporary housing units have even less reason to be festive, as they will soon face forced removal from their temporary shelters.
The interim law on the reconstruction of the quake areas mandates that temporary housing units shall be torn down after three years. The short lifespan of such units is a deliberate effort to encourage quake victims to become self-reliant. At the time the law was enacted, Taiwan's economy was prosperous. Both the government and the private sector were optimistic about their ability to achieve a full recovery in quake-stricken areas within three years. But the economic downturn has left the government short of funds and the private sector equally pinched. As a result, reconstruction work has fallen behind schedule. Some people whose apartments and houses collapsed during the quake are still involved in litigation against the companies that built their homes. The economy of quake-stricken areas remains in a slump. It is very difficult to make a living in those areas, let alone rebuild homes. But living in temporary prefab units is hardly anyone's first choice.
The 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Recovery Commission has said that more than 60 percent of the collapsed buildings are under reconstruction. Yet only 197 completion licenses have been issued -- so only a small minority have been lucky enough to move into new homes. That is quite a gap.
Both the government and the private sector have put a lot of effort into the reconstruction of quake-hit areas. But the government and the quake victims have different perspectives on what has been accomplished. To the government, reconstruction started from scratch and things have certainly come a long way since then. To those made homeless by the quake, little matters except being able to return to a home of their own.
Those people still living in the temporary shelters are there because they are too poor to rebuild their homes or rent new accommodation. They are a reminder that the government must do more to eradicate poverty. Perhaps the existence of these shelters is also a reminder that so much reconstruction work remains to be done. If the government insists on tearing down the shelters but then ignores the people made homeless once again, it is just trading one problem for another. The law provides for the possibility of extending the use of the temporary shelters for another year. That extension should be granted.
Yes, the continued existence of the shelters may make the government look bad. But, neither the central government nor the local administrations can escape responsibility for failing to do more to revive the economy of the quake-stricken areas, ease the redtape that has hampered rebuilding efforts and strengthen and enforce building codes to ensure sound construction practices.
As Premier Yu Shyi-kun has said, "As long as there is one [homeless] quake victim, the reconstruction work is incomplete."
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