Yeongdeungpo-gu, Together with Related Organizations, Gifts a New Life to Homeless Women

Rescue of Female Homeless Person in Safety and Welfare Blind Spots Due to Resident Registration Cancellation, Family Relationship Severance, and Schizophrenia... Collaboration with Homeless Facilities, Police, and Prosecutors Leads to 'Cancellation of Missing Person Declaration' Judgment... Currently Safely Hospitalized and Preparing for Social Rehabilitation... First Successful Case of Female Homeless Rescue... Will Focus on Helping Homeless People Return to Society and Live New Lives

Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) has taken active steps to ensure the safety and rehabilitation of homeless women who are in blind spots of safety and welfare.

The district announced that it helped homeless women who had long been disconnected from society due to the cancellation of their resident registration to re-register their resident registration and receive hospital treatment, enabling them to return to society and start a new life.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s ‘2021 Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homeless People,’ there are 3,344 homeless women, accounting for 23.3% of all homeless people. In particular, many homeless women are physically and mentally weak, have lost their sense of self, and are reluctant to come outside. Moreover, they are exposed to dangers such as assault and sexual violence, placing them in safety and welfare blind spots.

In response, the district patrolled various areas with counselors from Bohyeon Hope Support Center (hereafter ‘the Center’), a counseling facility for the homeless, to check if there were homeless women in crisis. As a result, they found Ms. A (55), who was sleeping on the streets near Singil Station. Her health condition was visibly severe, and she exhibited symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and delusions suspected to be schizophrenia, indicating urgent need for treatment. However, attempts to counsel her for welfare support were met with suspicion or attempts to flee, as she had been disconnected from society for a long time.

Nevertheless, the district did not give up and, together with Yeongdeungpo Station Police Substation and the Center, approached Ms. A relentlessly regardless of weekdays, weekends, day or night, eventually succeeding in gaining her trust. During this process, it was confirmed that her resident registration had been canceled since 1998. However, due to decades of family disconnection and being registered as deceased on official documents, it was difficult to provide welfare support such as medical care, housing, and emergency assistance.

First, the district temporarily assigned a ‘Social Security Electronic Management Number’ to provide medical support. According to a specialist’s consultation, Ms. A was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was at serious risk of harming herself or others, requiring inpatient treatment. Although there were eight hospitals in Seoul that could admit homeless patients, it was difficult to find a hospital willing to treat a homeless person without health insurance eligibility. Despite hospital refusals, the district and the Center visited hospitals directly and persistently requested inpatient treatment, eventually finding a hospital that could admit her.

Thanks to this, Ms. A has now restored her resident registration and is hospitalized receiving treatment from specialized medical staff. This is the first case of rescuing a homeless person without health insurance eligibility and supporting inpatient treatment.

Subsequently, with the cooperation of Yeongdeungpo Station Police Substation, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s forensic science team conducted a 10-fingerprint analysis. The district and the police substation actively requested the Southern District Prosecutors’ Office trial division to cancel the missing person declaration, and finally, Ms. A’s identity was restored by a court ruling canceling the missing person declaration. Considering that under current law, a missing person declaration can be requested by an interested party or prosecutor and that litigation takes several months, this was a prompt and proactive measure.

Going forward, the district plans to continue providing job and housing support and linking facility admission to help Ms. A leave homelessness behind and live a hopeful future after discharge.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “The most important welfare for the homeless is not facility admission but helping them take steps back into society,” adding, “Through cooperation with homeless facilities, police, prosecutors, and related organizations, we will continue to pay attention and effort so that homeless people in crisis outside safety zones can return as members of society.”