Gyeonggi-do Launches Initiative to Identify 'Apartment Crisis Households'

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi-do is launching a project to identify apartment households in crisis.

On the 17th, Gyeonggi-do announced that it will conduct a comprehensive survey by the 29th of next month to identify and support apartment households in crisis within the province that are in welfare blind spots.

The province explained that, unlike general houses where various utility bills are paid individually and delinquency information can be identified through existing systems, apartments include electricity bills in the management fees which are paid collectively, making it difficult to track delinquency information for individual households. Therefore, this comprehensive survey is being conducted to strengthen monitoring of apartments and to supplement the weaknesses of the existing welfare blind spot identification system.

The survey targets households suspected of crisis signs such as ▲households that have been delinquent in management fees or rent for more than three months due to crisis situations like the death or unemployment of the main income earner, or serious illness or injury ▲households with almost no gas, water, or electricity usage or with meter readings of '0'.

The province will form an identification investigation team and establish a cooperative system with the Housing Managers Association, apartment management offices, and LH Housing Welfare Centers, then determine support recipients through on-site investigations.

Gyeonggi-do plans to deploy social welfare officials from 31 cities and counties and towns, townships, and neighborhoods within the province, along with about 34,000 honorary social welfare officials and approximately 9,400 members of local community security councils for this survey.

The province will support the identified crisis households to receive public benefits such as Gyeonggi-do-type emergency welfare and the Basic Livelihood Security Program (including living expenses, medical expenses, etc.). Additionally, for households not included in these programs but facing difficulties, various welfare services such as financial counseling, care support, and sponsorship will be provided through public-private cooperation.

Lee Byung-woo, Director of the Welfare Bureau of Gyeonggi-do, stated, "We plan to concentrate all our capabilities to ensure that no residents in crisis have to make heartbreaking choices without being able to ask for help."

Meanwhile, residents who discover local residents in crisis or facing difficulties can call the Gyeonggi-do Call Center (031-120) or their local town, township, or neighborhood community service center to receive support through on-site investigations.