Seongbuk-gu Launches Project Connecting Elderly Homeowners with College Students in Need of Rooms

Emotional Loneliness Healing for the Elderly, Affordable Housing Provided to University Students

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is busy promoting the ‘Han Jibung Sede Gonggam’ project to help university students find rooms when the new semester begins.

‘Han Jibung Sede Gonggam’ is a room-sharing project that connects seniors aged 60 and over who have vacant rooms in their homes with university students in need of housing, benefiting both the seniors and the resident students.

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) continuously recruits seniors and university students to participate in ‘Han Jibung Sede Gonggam.’

Anyone who is a resident of Seongbuk-gu aged 60 or older and owns a house (apartment, multi-family, or multi-unit housing) in the area, and students enrolled or on leave at universities (graduate schools) located in Seoul, can apply.

Although the matching rate between students and seniors decreased compared to the previous year due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, inquiries from students have recently increased again with the start of the new semester.

It is not easy for students studying abroad in Seoul to find well-equipped rooms at low rent and affordable monthly fees.

Also, some seniors living alone in their residences suffer from emotional loneliness due to lack of communication partners.

In response, Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) has continuously promoted the ‘Han Jibung Sede Gonggam’ project to solve the problems faced by both youth and seniors.

Among university students familiar with the internet, word has spread that rooms can be found without a deposit and at affordable monthly rents (within 300,000 KRW per month), so many students seek rooms through this project even without direct promotion at universities.

On the other hand, despite the good purpose of the project, the focus is on increasing awareness of the project among seniors who have difficulty accessing the internet.

Seongbuk-gu is distributing promotional materials (pamphlets) at senior centers within local apartment complexes to further activate the project among seniors aged 60 and over.

Seniors or university students wishing to participate in the project can inquire or apply by phone at the Housing Policy Division.

The district expects that as the ‘Han Jibung Sede Gonggam’ project becomes more active, students will be provided with housing at prices lower than market rates, and seniors will alleviate emotional isolation and even gain stable income for their retirement life through rental profits.

One senior said, “Living with students who stay in the same house for one to two years and spending time together until they graduate makes me feel like they are my own children. Now, these students have become the driving force of my life, and I am happy.”

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