The Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) is converting semi-basement units in its purchased rental housing stock — spaces too difficult to use as residences — into shared storage facilities, aiming to offer affordable storage services to local residents who lack adequate space at home.
SH announced Monday that it has completed the conversion of semi-basement spaces in purchased rental housing into shared storage facilities and will begin offering the service this month.
The project was launched to repurpose semi-basement spaces that had sat vacant because they were unsuitable for residential use, turning them into practical amenities for the surrounding community. SH partnered with private shared-storage operator Mini Changgo Darak to convert 28 semi-basement units across Seocho-gu, Seongbuk-gu and Gwanak-gu into shared storage spaces.
The new shared storage brand is called SH:ARE. It operates under a public-private partnership model in which SH provides the physical space and facilities while the private operator handles system management and user services.
The name SH:ARE carries a dual meaning — it reflects the concept of sharing space and stands for "SH: Add Room Everywhere," expressing the corporation's commitment to improving residential environments.
SH plans to open 10 locations in stages, starting in Seocho-gu this month and continuing through September. Sites were selected by prioritizing neighborhoods with a high concentration of homes lacking storage space and strong demand for off-site storage.
The facilities will operate as unmanned, ICT-based systems. Users can make reservations, process payments and manage access through a smartphone application. Humidity controls, closed-circuit television cameras and other security measures will also be installed to ensure safe use.
SH said it plans to analyze the project's operational performance before assessing whether to expand the service, focusing on areas with the highest demand.
"This project is an example of converting semi-basement spaces that had been left vacant — because they were unsuitable for residential use — into practical facilities that improve residents' daily lives," SH President Hwang Sang-ha said. "We will continue to make active use of idle spaces the corporation holds and develop more everyday projects that residents can directly feel the benefit of."
quq@heraldcorp.com
