The Era of Just Tapping Desks is Over! Daegu City Council Policy Research Group Enters 'Yeolgong' Mode

City Council Member Research Group 'Jachijeongchaek Yeonguhoe' Founded, Commemorative Forum Held

First Topic, Enthusiastic Research on 'Institutionalization of Daegu Support Housing' Measures

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] “Don’t just turn up the microphone volume. Don’t just tap on the desk. Let’s study!”

The Daegu Metropolitan Council has entered ‘study mode.’

The Autonomous Policy Research Association, a council member research group led by Representative Kim Seong-tae, held a founding commemorative forum on the afternoon of the 13th at 2 p.m. at the Daegu Metropolitan Council, in collaboration with the ‘Anti-Poverty Network,’ under the theme of ‘Institutionalization Plan for Daegu City Supported Housing.’

This forum announced the founding of the Autonomous Policy Research Association. This research group is a gathering of council members who chose to study more rather than just ‘holding the microphone.’

The first forum was attended by about 20 people, including Kim Seong-tae, head of the Autonomous Policy Research Association, Jang Sang-soo, chairman of the Daegu Metropolitan Council, Park Myung-ae, executive director of the Daegu Disability Discrimination Elimination Solidarity, Seo Jong-gyun, president of the Housing Management Corporation who gave the presentation, and public and private experts related to supported housing who participated in the discussion. Online, numerous citizens interested in supported housing also attended.

Representative Kim Seong-tae, who hosted the forum, said, “Daegu City has proactively established and promoted a strategy for deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities since 2015, ahead of the central government’s institutional basis and mid- to long-term roadmap, to support the ‘deinstitutionalization’ and independent living of persons with disabilities residing in facilities.”

Kim explained the purpose, saying, “Through this forum, we aim to diagnose the difficulties and problems of deinstitutionalization and independent living support and to find institutionalization plans for supported housing as policy alternatives.”

Seo Jong-gyun, president of the Housing Management Corporation and presenter, emphasized the role of the council, stating, “Supported housing is a model that provides both housing and housing maintenance services to housing-vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, the elderly, homeless people, and those with mental illnesses. The role of the council is important for the institutionalization of supported housing and housing maintenance support services.”

Choi Byung-woo, director of the Daegu Housing Welfare Center, said, “It is necessary to link and cooperate between the Urban Re-creation Bureau and the Welfare Bureau, which are departments related to supported housing, and to make efforts by Daegu Urban Corporation to secure various housing.”

Jeon Geun-bae, policy director of the Daegu Disability Discrimination Elimination Solidarity, argued, “We must create an environment where persons with disabilities can live more in the community rather than in institutional facilities.”

He also emphasized, “A shift is needed from family support to state responsibility, from institutionalization to community inclusion, and from provider-centered to user-centered approaches.”

Jang Min-cheol, director of the Daegu Rooming House Counseling Center, stressed, “The first step toward institutionalizing supported housing is the enactment of ordinances and securing budgets through them.”

Jang Jun-bae, director of Hope Village at the Daegu Social Service Institute, mentioned the need for legal amendments to secure universal housing rights, expansion of housing maintenance support service providers, and functional transformation of social welfare facilities.

The last discussant, Kim Byung-hwan, head of the Architecture and Housing Division of Daegu City, pointed out, “It is necessary to prepare policy alternatives through a thorough survey and secure funding through national subsidies based on laws.”

The Autonomous Policy Research Association of the Daegu Metropolitan Council, which hosted the forum, is a newly formed council member research group established in March this year to discover new policy alternatives for municipal innovation.

The research association announced that it will continuously monitor the supported housing-related matters discussed at this forum and provide necessary support.