Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea [provided by the lawmaker's office]
Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea [provided by the lawmaker's office]

Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee representing Seoul's Yangcheon-gap district, said Wednesday he had introduced a bill to amend the Special Act on Vacant Houses and Small-Scale Housing Improvement, aimed at revitalizing small-scale housing improvement projects and introducing a new housing type suited to evolving residential trends.

According to industry sources, small-scale improvement projects have recently run into serious difficulties as soaring construction costs — driven by rising raw material prices and labor costs — have eroded project viability and sharply increased the financial burden on residents.

Against that backdrop, "shared-space housing" — a model in which residents jointly use amenities such as community facilities and shared lounges — has emerged as a practical alternative that could improve project viability and strengthen residential communities.

Hwang previously led legislation for "equity-accumulation housing" during the 20th National Assembly, a model that recently bore its first fruit in Gyeonggi Province. Last year, he also proposed a "housing-school complex" model combining residential and school facilities as a new paradigm for urban housing supply.

Some say the latest bill is part of Hwang's continuing push for housing innovation aimed at effectively delivering quality housing in urban areas.

The bill establishes a legal definition for "shared-space housing," introducing it as a new housing type that includes shared spaces and amenities for collective use by residents, in addition to individual living units.

The key provision would offer incentives — relaxed building-to-land ratios and floor area ratios — when shared-space housing is built through improvement projects. The measure is expected to diversify project configurations, sharply improve viability, ease the financial burden on association members that has grown with rising construction costs, and restore momentum for project implementation.

"Small-scale improvement projects are a key tool for quickly supplying quality housing in urban areas, yet cases of delays and cancellations due to high resident contributions from rising construction costs have been mounting," Hwang said. "By combining the new shared-space housing type with special provisions on building-to-land and floor area ratios to sharply improve project viability, we will actively support the smooth progress of small-scale improvement projects."


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