GH to Improve Residential Environment of Small-Scale Child Protection Facilities... Signs Agreement with Woori Bank and Others

Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation (GH) is launching a project to improve the residential environment of "child group homes."

Child group homes are small-scale child protection facilities that provide care and nurturing services tailored to the individual needs of children who require protection due to reasons such as family breakdown, neglect, abuse, poverty, or abandonment, offering a home-like living environment. In Gyeonggi Province, there are 160 group homes in operation, accounting for 30% of all group homes nationwide, and about 800 children are currently living in these facilities.

GH announced on July 3 at its headquarters in Suwon that it had signed a business agreement with Woori Bank and the Korea Child and Youth Group Home Association for the "Child Group Home Residential Environment Improvement Project."

Under the agreement, GH and Woori Bank will provide 150 million won each year from this year until 2028, totaling 600 million won. This amount is sufficient to support most of the 73 aging child group homes in the province that have been in operation for more than 25 years.

Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation signed a business agreement on the "Child Group Home Residential Environment Improvement Project" with Woori Bank and the Korea Child and Youth Group Home Association at its headquarters in Suwon on the 3rd. From left, Josephung, Vice President of Woori Bank; Youngtak Bang, President of the Korea Child and Youth Group Home Association; Jongseon Lee, Acting President of GH. Provided by Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Corporation

The Group Home Association expects that this support will provide very practical assistance, as it is difficult to improve facilities with the current government support of about 470,000 won per month.

GH has previously implemented a variety of housing stability initiatives for young people preparing for independence after leaving child group homes, including priority supply of rental housing, support for rental deposits, and donations (50 million won in 2024). GH has also established a collaborative support system and housing welfare network with Gyeonggi Province, the Gyeonggi Housing Welfare Center, and the Child Group Home Support Center. With this new support, it is expected that not only young people preparing for independence but also children under protection will benefit, helping to close the housing welfare gap.

Jongseon Lee, Acting President of GH, stated, "Improving the outdated facilities of child group homes has been a very urgent issue," and added, "GH will continue to make efforts to create a pleasant residential environment so that marginalized children and youth can grow up healthy."