The lodgings are the first of 548 that will be built in Wajima and many more that are planned for the whole prefecture, where roughly 45,000 homes suffered some level of damage.
Fourteen of the new units have two bedrooms plus a kitchen and dining space. The other four have an additional two bedrooms.
City officials say they've received more than 4,000 applications from people who need accommodation. They say the 18 households chosen for the first round include 58 people.
The housing is located in central Wajima's Kiriko Kaikan plaza, an area designated at risk of inundation in the event of a tsunami. City officials explain that the decision to build the units there was "unavoidable," because it was among the only city land "available for immediate construction." They caution that in the event of an emergency, the residents should evacuate to higher ground as soon as possible.
