Hamyang County Expands Housing Support for Stable Settlement of Return-to-Farm and Return-to-Village Residents

Aiming to Boost Population and Revitalize the Local Community

On January 21, Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang Province announced that it will implement a housing design fee support project and a vacant house renovation project as part of its initiatives to increase the local population. These projects aim to reduce the housing burden for new residents relocating from urban to rural areas and to help them settle down stably.

The housing design fee support project will provide 2 million won per household for a total of 20 households, while the vacant house renovation project will offer 5 million won per household for another 20 households. Applications will be accepted until February 20.

Aerial view of Hamyang County Office.

Eligibility for the housing design fee support is limited to those who, as of their move-in date, had been registered residents in another city, county, or district for at least one year and have moved or plan to move to Hamyang County to build a new house.

The vacant house renovation project targets return-to-farm or return-to-village residents who have rented or purchased a vacant house that has not been inhabited or used for at least one year. The project supports costs for repairing roofs, walls, windows, and other parts of the house. For both projects, only those who have moved in or plan to move in after January 1, 2024, are eligible.

In particular, the housing design fee support project is available to those who plan to build or are designing a house after 2024, those who have obtained or reported a building permit after 2024, and those eligible for the housing improvement project. However, applicants must not have received approval for building use at the time of application.

However, if construction does not begin within three months after the applicant is confirmed as eligible for the housing design fee support, the support will be discontinued. Applications for the housing design fee support should be submitted to the Building Permit Division of the Urban Architecture Department at Hamyang County Office, while applications for the vacant house renovation project can be made through the general affairs or construction officer of the relevant town or township office.

An official from the county stated, "The purpose of this project is to reduce the initial settlement costs for return-to-farm and return-to-village residents and to help them establish a stable housing foundation. By turning abandoned vacant houses into assets and providing them to new residents, we aim to improve living conditions and create a sustainable virtuous cycle of population growth to overcome the risk of regional extinction."