KUMAMOTO, Japan (Kyodo) -- The first group of people began moving into temporary housing Saturday in a southwestern Japan town struck by a powerful earthquake more than a month ago.

A total of 43 people will live in the 20 prefabricated houses in Hikawa, with construction work continuing to prepare more units to accommodate those displaced by the magnitude-7.1 earthquake in the prefecture on July 28. Hikawa registered a maximum 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

While residents were busy moving in, some appeared relieved to have temporary housing, though only a small number of households were covered this time and others expressed concern for those still unable to relocate.

Takahiro Miyagawa, 73, received the keys to his new temporary home with his wife. "It marks a restart. I want to sleep with my legs straight," he said.

Drawing on lessons from a series of major disasters across Japan, authorities moved residents into temporary housing about 10 days earlier than after the devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, amid concerns over deteriorating health and disaster-related deaths caused by prolonged evacuation.

A total of 553 temporary housing units are planned in seven municipalities, including those completed in the latest round. The number of buildings damaged in the prefecture, however, has already exceeded 64,000, raising concerns about a shortage of temporary housing.

The 20 single-story units were completed in late August after roughly four weeks of construction. A total of 47 applications have been filed for the units so far, with elderly people and those with disabilities prioritized, according to the town.

By mid-November, hundreds more houses are expected to be completed in disaster-hit areas such as Yatsushiro and Uki.

Around 1,700 houses have been confirmed as destroyed.