Ministry of Land accepts applications from local governments through Nov. 20
South Korea is set to begin supplying tailored public rental housing designed for youth, elderly residents and families with young children.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Thursday that it will accept applications for specialized housing projects from public housing operators — including local governments and regional public corporations — from Saturday through Nov. 20.
The specialized housing combines residential units with facilities and services suited to each resident group, such as social welfare centers, childcare spaces and shared offices. Projects selected through the competition will receive financial support, including loans and grants from the Housing and Urban Fund, to help ensure that housing tailored to local demand and conditions can be built.
Starting with this round, projects located outside the Greater Seoul area will receive additional scoring points. Youth-focused housing and childcare-friendly housing will also be subject to new minimum floor-area requirements for specialized facilities, ensuring sufficient communal and care spaces to deliver the community and childcare services residents need.
The competition covers four project types. Youth specialized housing targets unmarried young adults and university students, offering rental units in prime transit-oriented locations within urban centers. The units reflect preferences common among younger residents — including preferred unit sizes and built-in furniture — alongside tailored services.
Region-proposed specialized housing, introduced in the second half of 2024, allows public housing operators such as local governments to customize eligibility criteria, selection methods and residency periods to match local needs — such as encouraging childbirth or promoting migration to rural areas. The format allows for locally tailored design and reflects residents' needs, and links easily to central and local government policy initiatives.
Elderly welfare housing is open to homeless residents aged 65 and older. It pairs residential units — equipped with accessibility features such as sliding bathroom doors and safety grab bars — with on-site social welfare facilities, providing housing and welfare services at the same time. The housing also includes health support facilities such as senior dining halls, health consultation rooms and lecture rooms, as well as leisure amenities, contributing to high resident satisfaction.
Employment-linked support housing targets startup founders, workers at small and medium-sized enterprises and industrial complex employees. It provides rental units alongside specialized facilities such as shared offices and startup centers to help reduce housing costs for workers.
"Specialized housing can supply tailored units that match local demand and conditions, and provides residential spaces and services that take into account the characteristics of diverse residents — including youth, the elderly and families raising children," Han Seong-su, the ministry's director general for residential welfare policy, said. "We will work to actively identify and supply a wide variety of specialized housing that communities need through this competition."
smh@heraldcorp.com
