Gwangju City Supplies High-Quality Public Rental Housing 'Gwangju-Style Lifetime Housing'

Mayor Lee Yong-seop Announces Housing Stability Measures... Plans 18,000 Units by 2030

Phase 1 Pilot Project Next Year, 500 Units to Be Provided on Public Land by 2024

On the afternoon of the 26th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, briefed online on policies related to the Gwangju-type lifelong housing at the city hall briefing room. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City will supply high-quality public rental housing called ‘Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing’ to stabilize the housing of middle-class and lower-income households without homes who are struggling due to rising house prices and the shortage of jeonse (long-term deposit rental) housing.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop held a press conference at the city hall briefing room on the 26th and announced a plan to supply 18,000 units of ‘Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing,’ an innovative public rental housing model to be introduced by 2030.

This plan aims to stabilize the housing market amid rapidly rising house prices and monthly rent burdens caused by speculative demand and increased new demand, by both strongly cracking down on speculative demand and increasing supply.

However, since Gwangju’s housing supply rate has already exceeded 100% (106.6% as of the end of 2018), the plan was prepared to stabilize the housing market by supplying high-quality public rental housing for non-homeowning low-income citizens rather than general sale housing.

‘Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing’ is expected to become an innovative model for the new era by supplying high-quality public rental housing with affordable rent, equipped with various social overhead capital (SOC) such as urban living infrastructure, national and public daycare centers, and cultural centers, allowing residents to live there for a lifetime.

First, the target for supplying Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing will be expanded from mainly low-income groups to middle-class and lower-income non-homeowning households, and the size will be expanded from the existing small units (under 60㎡) to medium-sized units (under 85㎡) to provide a high-quality living environment.

Also, prospective residents will participate in all processes from design to apartment management and operation after moving in, creating a demand-customized complex and fostering a new residential community culture by improving the closed apartment culture through joint resident management.

Furthermore, from the basic planning stage, a general and public architect will participate, and through design competitions, the housing will be supplied as high-quality residences with excellent design, breaking away from the box-shaped apartments densely populated by low-income groups.

As a future-oriented public rental housing model, it will lead the green new deal in the multi-family housing sector by introducing artificial intelligence, IoT (Internet of Things), and zero-energy building certification, creating smart and green buildings.

During construction, participation of local companies in materials, labor, and equipment will be maximized to contribute to revitalizing the local construction economy.

Gwangju City plans to carry out a first-phase pilot project starting next year, building 500 units on publicly owned land in the city center, with move-in scheduled for early 2024.

The first phase of Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing will be preferentially supplied to youth, newlyweds, and non-homeowning households with minor children to support ‘Gwangju, a city good for having and raising children’ and give hope to young people.

The second phase will establish the ‘Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing’ model through the pilot project and then expand supply in earnest to provide 18,000 units by 2030.

The Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing policy will be managed by the newly established Housing Policy Division of Gwangju City, which will set up a ‘Housing Welfare Center’ to handle practical management and operation, including the supply of Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing, housing policy tasks, and resolving welfare blind spots for housing-vulnerable groups.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop emphasized, “This ‘Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing’ breaks away from the common notion that public rental housing is small housing for low-income people, enabling middle-class and lower citizens to live without lifelong housing worries, stabilizing house prices, and shifting the concept from ownership to residence so that housing does not become a means of asset accumulation.”

He added, “We will make ‘Gwangju-type Lifetime Housing’ a leading model of public rental housing representing South Korea and create a Gwangju where middle-class and lower non-homeowning households can live without worrying about housing by stabilizing house prices.”

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