Mapo-gu Opens Nation's First Senior Housing and Care Innovation 'Hyodosuksik Senior Center' at Changjeon Branch

Providing Comfortable Housing Spaces with Low Rent for Low-Income Elderly Living Alone... Year-Round Rolling Recruitment
Individual Bedrooms, Shared Kitchen, Living Room, and Bathroom Included, Unit Area Over 30㎡
Park Gang-su, District Mayor: "Filial Boarding Senior Centers Expected to Alleviate Isolation and Promote Healthy Living for Elderly Living Alone"

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) held the opening ceremony of its first "Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center" at the Changjeon branch (located at 30 Seogang-ro 1-gil) on the 2nd at 2 p.m.

The "Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center" is a senior communal living facility aimed at resolving poor housing conditions and isolation issues faced by low-income elderly living alone. It is a residential welfare project first attempted nationwide by Mapo-gu.

The district remodeled the 2nd and 3rd floors of the existing Seogang Information Education Center building to create the first branch, "Changjeon Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center."

Each floor is divided by gender, with 8 private bedrooms, a shared kitchen, living room, restroom, and laundry room on each of the two floors. The private bedrooms are furnished with basic home appliances such as beds, wardrobes, dressers, mini refrigerators, and air conditioners to provide a comfortable space.

Emergency call bells have been installed in the rooms and restrooms to prepare for sudden safety accidents. When the call bell is pressed in an emergency, it connects to 16 individual rooms, the shared living room, and the first-floor office for prompt response.

The total area per unit, including shared spaces, is approximately 30 to 34 square meters. Here, the elderly can gather to cook and eat together while also enjoying rest in their independent private spaces.

Residents eligible to move into the Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center are low-income elderly living alone aged 65 or older who are registered residents of Mapo-gu. A total of 16 people, 8 men and 8 women, can use the facility.

Rent varies by unit but is generally affordable, with a deposit of about 3.5 million KRW and a monthly rent of around 70,000 KRW. However, for residents receiving livelihood or medical benefits and those who do not receive adequate support from their obligors, the district covers the entire rental cost.

Mapo-gu’s Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center is expected to become a groundbreaking senior housing and care model that reduces living expenses with low rent while providing a pleasant living environment to alleviate loneliness and isolation.

The district announced that recruitment for residents began last month and will continue throughout the year on an ongoing basis. Residents wishing to apply can visit their local community service center for registration.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, "As aging accelerates and the number of low-income elderly living alone increases, we hope that low-income elderly living in poor housing conditions can overcome feelings of isolation and live healthy lives in the comfortable Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center."

He added, "We expect Mapo-gu’s new initiative, the Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center, to make a significant impact on senior housing and care welfare projects nationwide."