Dongducheon Childcare Center Opens on the 2nd...Vacant House Utilized as Space Welfare Model

The first vacant house utilization space welfare project by Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation (GH), the ‘Dongducheon Child Care Center,’ has been newly established as a three-story community facility after about 1 year and 5 months of construction.

On the 2nd, GH held an opening ceremony for the Dongducheon Child Care Center, the ‘GH No. 1 Vacant House Utilization Space Welfare Project,’ in Saengyeon-dong, Dongducheon City, attended by about 70 officials including Park Hyung-deok, Mayor of Dongducheon, Lee Jong-seon, GH Opportunity Headquarters Director, and Kim Tae-su, Director of Urban Regeneration at Gyeonggi Province.

The construction of the Dongducheon Child Care Center was promoted as a space welfare project that utilizes vacant houses and idle land in non-apartment areas to provide community facilities such as kindergartens, child care spaces, and libraries. This is the first case of utilizing a vacant house.

Dongducheon City Child Care Center in Gyeonggi-do opened its doors on the 2nd. Provided by Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation

The Child Care Center, completed in about 1 year and 5 months after construction began in August last year with a project cost of 6 billion KRW funded by GH and Gyeonggi Province, is a basement to third floor building (total floor area 871.66㎡). The first floor includes shared spaces such as a book cafe and kitchen, the second floor houses an after-school classroom for elementary students, and the third floor provides a customized integrated service space for children from vulnerable groups. The operation of the care center is managed by Dongducheon City.

Additionally, in the southern region of Gyeonggi Province, the second vacant house utilization space welfare project, the ‘Pyeongtaek Integrated Public Rental Housing,’ which began construction in Pyeongtaek City last December, is nearing completion at the end of this month.

Kim Se-yong, President of GH, stated, "We hope that the vacant house utilization space welfare project model will serve as a foundation to revitalize redevelopment projects improving deteriorated residential environments in 31 cities and counties across the province," adding, "We plan to supply space welfare models utilizing idle spaces to residential welfare blind spots in other regions as well."