▲ 2020 Seoul Public Housing Tenant Recruitment Calendar. The government plans to supply 17,000 public housing units at 65 locations in Seoul from next month until the end of this year. (Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] This year, the government will supply 17,000 public housing units across 65 locations in Seoul. Nationwide, the supply will be about 85,000 units across 227 locations. The government also announced plans to produce and distribute a public housing tenant recruitment calendar in a calendar format every early year going forward.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 29th that from next month until the end of this year, tenant recruitment is planned for 85,479 public housing units at 227 locations nationwide, including 17,178 units at 65 locations in Seoul. Compared to previous years, this is an increase of about 5,000 units nationwide, and particularly in Seoul, the volume has increased 2 to 3 times.
The related schedule can be checked from the '2020 Public Housing Tenant Recruitment Calendar' released on the Ministry of Land's 'My Home Portal' starting on the 30th. This tenant recruitment calendar includes not only public rental housing but also public sales including newlywed hope towns and public-supported private rentals (formerly known as New Stay), enhancing convenience for prospective tenants. However, the announced schedule may change later depending on the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and the circumstances of project implementers.
In Seoul, 17,178 units across 65 locations are seeking tenants. By type, there are 11,822 units of public rental housing at 59 locations, 2,613 units of public sales at 4 locations, and 2,743 units of public-supported private rentals.
Public rental housing includes Godeok Gangil National Rental (2,456 units) and Oryu-dong Happy Housing (180 units). Seoul Yangwon’s 134 units will be supplied as 'customized housing for newlyweds' equipped with childcare-specialized facilities. Happy Housing units totaling 1,862 across 27 locations will be supplied through reconstruction and redevelopment. Locations such as Seocho-gu Woosung 1st Complex (166 units), Sinbanpo 6th Complex (53 units), and Gangnam-gu Gaepo Shiyeong (120 units) offer excellent urban residency but with rents only 60-80% of market prices, allowing for long-term stable residence.
Public-supported private rentals will supply 2,743 units at two locations: Nambu Correctional Facility (2,214 units) and Seoul Sinchon (529 units). These guarantee a residence period of over 8 years and limit initial rents to 85% of the youth housing market price standard, enhancing public benefits. Public sales will also offer a total of 2,613 units in two complexes each at Wirye New Town (1,676 units) and Godeok Gangil (937 units). These complexes are expected to attract high interest due to their affordable prices under the price ceiling system.
▲ Status of the number of households planned for public housing recruitment from April to December 2020 (Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)
Outside Seoul, in the metropolitan area, 45,426 units across 82 locations are seeking tenants. These include 28,208 units of public rental housing at 51 locations, 7,206 units of public sales at 8 locations, and 2,660 units of public-supported private rentals at 7 locations. Among these, 947 public rental housing units supplied in Goyang Samsong will be designated as 'exclusive housing for small and medium enterprise workers' to support their housing needs. This is a type of job-linked housing aimed at easing housing and employment concerns for youth and early-career workers. Newlywed hope towns will be publicly sold in Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town (645 units) and Seongnam Daejang (707 units).
Outside the metropolitan area, 22,875 units across 80 locations will recruit tenants. By type, there are 17,570 units of public rental housing at 71 locations, 4,975 units of public sales at 8 locations, and 330 units of public-supported private rentals at 1 location. Public rental housing in Jindo Ssangjeong (100 units) and Boryeong Myeongcheon (266 units) will be developed as 'elderly welfare housing' featuring barrier-free designs such as threshold removal and safety sensors inside the homes, with social welfare facilities installed on the lower floors. Dongdaegu Venture (100 units) public rental housing will also be supplied as a 'startup support housing,' a type of job-linked housing combining residential space with startup support facilities.
Additionally, the government will supply 69,818 units of purchased and jeonse rental housing nationwide. Purchased rental housing, which involves buying and renovating existing homes to rent to low-income households at rents below 50% of market prices, will supply 24,318 units nationwide. Jeonse rental housing, which leases existing homes for supply, will provide 45,500 units nationwide.
Starting this year, the government plans to significantly relax tenant eligibility conditions to accommodate more prospective tenants. Through the 'Housing Welfare Roadmap 2.0' announced on the 20th, the Ministry of Land stated that the definition of newlywed households eligible for construction-type public rental housing will be expanded from the current within 7 years of marriage or prospective newlyweds to 'households with children aged 6 or younger.' A ministry official said, "If related laws are amended by the first half of the year, the expanded eligibility will be applied from tenant recruitment in the second half."
Also, for Happy Housing applications, the income requirement for newlywed households, which had been applied as 100% or less of the previous year's average monthly urban worker income per household regardless of dual-income status, was raised to 120% for dual-income households starting this year following a related law amendment in December last year.
Furthermore, residency requirements for the elderly and housing benefit recipients have been removed, allowing them to move into Happy Housing even if they reside outside the area where the housing is supplied. The requirement for a period of non-homeownership has also been removed, enabling Happy Housing residency as long as the applicant is non-homeowner before the tenant recruitment announcement date.
For National Rental Housing, eligibility for multi-child households will be relaxed from households with three or more minor children including fetuses to those with two or more children. The related law amendment is currently under legislative notice, and once completed, tenant recruitment under the relaxed conditions is expected to begin after June.
Kim Jeong-hee, Director of Housing Welfare Policy at the Ministry of Land, said, "Going forward, we plan to produce and distribute a tenant recruitment calendar every early year so that anyone can use it when planning moves or purchases. In addition to the public housing calendar, we will strengthen access to housing welfare through providing public rental information in collaboration with private companies such as Dabang and Jiptos, and expanding the installation of local government housing welfare centers."
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