Mapo-gu, Separate Payment of Youth Housing Benefits... Up to 310,000 KRW per Child

Eligible for housing benefits if unmarried children aged 19-30 living in recipient households rent and reside in a different city or county from their parents for schooling or job seeking purposes

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced that it will implement the ‘Youth Housing Benefit Separate Payment’ system starting this year to promote the independence of unmarried young adults in their 20s who live apart from their parents due to schooling or job seeking among members of housing benefit recipient households.

The housing benefit support system is a policy that subsidizes rent (rental benefit) or supports housing repairs (maintenance benefit) to stabilize housing and improve housing standards for low-income vulnerable households whose recognized income is 45% or less of the median income.

Rental benefits are paid up to a maximum of 480,000 KRW for a four-person household living in Seoul, and maintenance benefits are supported based on repair limits according to the housing’s aging level (minor/moderate/major).

Under the existing housing benefit system, even if an unmarried young adult in their 20s living apart from their parents in a housing benefit recipient household pays monthly rent, they were recognized as part of the same household as their parents and did not receive separate rental benefits.

To address this issue, the district will implement the youth housing benefit separate payment policy this year, providing separate rental benefits to low-income youth.

This is to enable young people to focus on their studies and work without worrying about housing, thereby promoting a stable future and independence.

The newly implemented Mapo-gu youth housing benefit separate payment applies to unmarried children aged 19 to under 30 among members of housing benefit recipient households who pay rent and live in a different city or county from their parents’ residence for schooling or job seeking.

The payment amount varies according to rent, deposit, and other conditions, with a maximum of 310,000 KRW per child in Grade 1 areas (Seoul), 239,000 KRW in Grade 2 areas (Gyeonggi, Incheon), 190,000 KRW in Grade 3 areas (metropolitan cities, Sejong), and 163,000 KRW in Grade 4 areas (others).

Housing benefit recipient households in Mapo-gu wishing to apply for the youth housing benefit separate payment can visit the local community service center under the jurisdiction of the parents’ address to apply. Detailed eligibility criteria and rental benefit support methods can be consulted through the housing benefit call center or Mapo-gu Welfare Division.

Mapo-gu expects that the newly implemented youth housing benefit separate payment system will provide practical help to low-income youth struggling with poor housing conditions.

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We will continue promotional activities to discover recipients so that no blind spots occur where eligible people do not receive housing benefits,” and added, “We hope for your great interest and applications.”