Dongdaemun-gu Actively Supports Homeless People and Others in Crisis Due to COVID-19

Support for Daily Necessities for Self-Quarantine Households... Emergency Living Expenses Support for Households with Business Suspension, Closure, or Job Loss... Distribution of Lunch Boxes to Homeless People... Health Status Check Calls for Elderly Living Alone

A dedicated patrol staff member for homeless people on the streets of Dongdaemun-gu is checking the body temperature of a homeless person.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor You Deok-yeol) is doing its best to support vulnerable groups in the community who are continuing to face greater difficulties due to COVID-19.

First, Seoul-type emergency living expenses are provided to low-income households experiencing economic hardship due to business closures, layoffs, or unemployment caused by COVID-19.

The living expense support amounts vary by household size: 300,000 KRW for single-person households and 500,000 KRW for two-person households.

The eligibility criteria include households with income below 85% of the median income, general property under 257 million KRW, and financial assets under 10 million KRW. Applications can be submitted at the local community service centers in the resident’s district.

Additionally, for households under self-quarantine who cannot go out, essential goods worth approximately 100,000 KRW per household (including ramen, pre-cooked rice, etc.) are provided to help stabilize their lives and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Officials confirm the necessary items through prior phone consultations with self-quarantined households and deliver the essential goods contactlessly to the front door of the recipient’s home.

As of March 10, essential goods worth 5,158,590 KRW have been provided to 74 self-quarantined households. Those who have been released from self-quarantine receive living support funds ranging from 454,900 KRW (for single-person households) to 1.23 million KRW (for four-person households), depending on the number of quarantine days.

Thorough preparations are also in place for health-vulnerable street homeless individuals. With the suspension of free meal services, the district independently purchases meal substitutes (pre-cooked rice, cup ramen, kimchi, Choco Pie, etc.) and distributes them twice daily to homeless people struggling with meals.

Francisco House (498 Gosan-ja-ro, Jegi-dong) distributes lunch boxes via a mobile vehicle at 11:30 AM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, while the Ghana Shelter (256-1 Wangsanno, Jeonnong-dong) operates a sponsored food service from Monday to Friday at 10 AM.

At Pray for You Community (25 Bonghwasan-ro 30-gil, Junghwa-dong, Jungnang-gu), snack sets for 50 people are provided to street homeless individuals every Tuesday at 11 AM.

For the safety of street homeless individuals, dedicated staff patrol twice daily to check for fever. They continue to promote mask-wearing and handwashing and encourage bathing in cooperation with the Ghana Shelter.

On February 14, with sponsorship from Park Jeong-geun (representative of Mountain and People) of Dail Church, 1,000 cloth masks were donated to street homeless individuals, Ghana Shelter, and local self-sufficiency centers.

Facilities where homeless people reside, such as Ghana Shelter and Dail Small Heaven, regularly conduct fever checks along with disinfection and quarantine measures.

Especially for vulnerable groups such as elderly living alone, from the 2nd, about 15 volunteers from the Volunteer Camp at five community service centers in Yongsin-dong, Jegi-dong, Jeonnong 2-dong, Jangan 2-dong, and Hwikyung 1-dong have been calling individuals to check their health status and provide guidance on preventive measures.

They focus on identifying early symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, and cough, and if additional warning signs are detected, they immediately refer the individual for in-person consultation at the community service center, thus playing a role in the local safety net.

Mayor You Deok-yeol of Dongdaemun-gu stated, “We are doing our best in cooperation with welfare facilities and volunteers to support vulnerable groups in the community such as elderly living alone, disabled people, and homeless individuals who are facing even greater difficulties due to COVID-19. We will make every effort to ensure that no neighbors are left behind until the COVID-19 situation stabilizes.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.