LH Launches 'Change Up' Project to Improve Environment of Aging Rental Housing Complexes

Strengthening Community, Improving Negative Image of Rental Housing, Enhancing Resident Convenience
Creating Gardens and Vegetable Patches, Remodeling Storefronts within Complexes, Installing Electric Wheelchair Storage Racks
Pilot Project Targeting Six Permanent Rental Housing Complexes Over 25 Years Old

[Asia Economy Reporter Kangwook Cho] Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) announced on the 18th that it will carry out the ‘Change Up’ project, a complex environment improvement initiative aimed at fostering community culture and upgrading facilities in aging rental housing.

Since 2009, LH has been implementing projects to improve aging rental housing facilities, such as enhancing convenience facilities, installing automatic doors at building entrances, and replacing lighting with energy-saving LED bulbs, to ensure residents can live in a comfortable and safe environment.

In particular, many permanent rental housing complexes are over 20 years old, and with a high proportion of elderly and disabled households, there is a need for housing design and facility improvements as well as creating a complex environment that considers residents’ convenience.

This year, LH will pilot the ‘Change Up’ project targeting six permanent rental housing complexes that are over 25 years old and in severe states of deterioration.

This project is characterized by focusing on spatial planning and design improvements for the entire complex rather than on individual unit interior renovations.

The ‘Change Up’ project consists of six detailed sub-projects, with the main goals being △strengthening community △improving the negative image of rental housing △enhancing residents’ living convenience.

First, underutilized spaces within the complexes will be utilized to create △rest areas along walking paths and △gardens and vegetable patches, providing spaces where residents can naturally meet and converse.

Reflecting the high proportion of elderly residents and promoting social interaction through exercise and relaxation, △exercise spaces and facilities △playgrounds for the elderly and infirm will also be established.

The exterior of the complexes will be refurbished to change the negative image of permanent rental housing as ‘old and deteriorated housing.’

In particular, commercial areas within the complexes, which have been excluded from previous facility improvement projects and are severely deteriorated, will be renovated. Since these commercial areas are located at the main entrances where outsiders first encounter the complex and significantly affect its appearance, their exteriors will be completely remodeled. Additionally, garbage and recycling collection points will be reorganized into clean and orderly spaces.

Furthermore, abandoned aging facilities within the complexes will be removed, sculptures and other installations will be added to improve the landscape, street trees will be maintained, and sidewalks will be replaced to create pleasant walking paths. Themes will be established for each complex, and exterior wall color designs will be applied to reflect the unique characteristics of each housing complex.

Alongside this, cognitive health design will be utilized to enhance residents’ convenience, and living convenience facilities will be improved.

Signage such as building entrance signs and other guidance boards within the complexes will be redesigned so that children and elderly residents with reduced cognitive abilities can easily understand them at a glance. For residents with mobility difficulties, handrails and electric wheelchair storage facilities will be installed and repaired.

Starting with this pilot project, LH plans to implement the ‘Change Up’ project over the next five years in 140 permanent rental housing complexes that are over 25 years old.

An LH official stated, “We will continue to promote environmental improvements in aging rental complexes and do our best to provide residents with a pleasant living environment.”

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