Gyeonggi-do Invests 888.5 Billion KRW in Health, Housing, and Safety for 1.54 Million Single-Person Households

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Gwanggyo New Office Building

Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of 888.5 billion KRW this year for 1.54 million single-person households in the province. Major projects include hospital safety accompaniment for single-person households, distribution of safety packages for women living alone, middle-aged chat salons, and expanded support for companion animals.

The province announced on the 29th that it has prepared and will implement the "2023 Gyeonggi Province Single-Person Household Support Implementation Plan" containing these details.

First, in the first half of this year, the province will establish a policy cooperation system for single-person households involving private experts, provincial and city/county policy officers. A standard ordinance for single-person households in cities and counties will also be prepared to provide an institutional foundation for promoting single-person household policies at the city and county levels.

Support for companion animals targeting single-person households will also be expanded. The province will provide medical support such as vaccination fees, neutering surgery fees, basic checkups and treatment fees (including surgery) for companion animals of single-person households, as well as support for care delegation fees and companion animal funeral expenses.

The middle-aged chat salon will also be promoted. The province supports clubs formed by middle-aged single-person households based on themes and age groups for activities such as hobbies, self-development, and cultural activities.

The province will newly promote a free-topic proposal project for single-person households. Since the characteristics of single-person households vary by region, such as urban, rural, and urban-rural complex types, the province plans to support policies proposed by cities and counties that reflect regional characteristics.

In addition, the province will carry out projects such as ▲ dining to improve eating habits by cooking together with single-person households ▲ hospital safety accompaniment services supporting accompaniment, reception, and payment for residents who find it difficult to go to the hospital alone ▲ life-cycle financial education and personalized financial counseling for single-person households ▲ distribution of safety packages including window locks and personal emergency buttons for women living alone.

Ji Ju-yeon, Director of the Women's and Family Bureau of the province, said, "Single-person households are a universal social phenomenon increasing across all age groups, and now one out of three households is a single-person household, making them important service beneficiaries," adding, "We plan to prepare and implement policies reflecting diverse needs by gender, age, and region."