Incheon City Launches Full-Scale Support Project for Disabled Independence... 8 Rental Housing Units Provided

LH to Supply Units Sized 74~78㎡... Ownership Guaranteed Under Disabled Person's Name
Operated by Disabled Housing Transition Support Center, Providing Daytime Activity Services

On the 31st of last month, at the 'Supportive Housing Project for Persons with Disabilities Business Agreement Ceremony' held at Incheon City Hall, Jeong Jaewon, Director of the Center for Residential Transition Support for Persons with Disabilities, Ahn Younggyu, Deputy Mayor of Incheon, and Park Bonggyu, Head of LH Incheon Regional Headquarters (from left), are posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Incheon City.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City is joining hands with LH (Korea Land and Housing Corporation) to actively promote a self-reliance support project for people with disabilities.

On the 2nd, the city announced that it signed an agreement for the 'Incheon-type Supportive Housing Project for People with Disabilities' with the LH Incheon Headquarters and the Disabled Housing Transition Support Center to help people with disabilities settle in the local community.

Unlike the existing temporary facility-exit experience housing for people with disabilities, supportive housing for people with disabilities is contracted under the name of the resident with a disability, guaranteeing ownership.

As the first phase of the project, LH will supply eight rental housing units located in Michuhol-gu to people with disabilities who wish to become independent after leaving facilities. The lease contracts will be signed between LH and the Disabled Housing Support Center.

The supportive housing units range from 74 to 78㎡ in size and are primarily intended for single occupancy, but up to two people may live together depending on the situation.

The city plans to complete move-ins within this month after announcing the recruitment of residents.

Eligible residents are those aged 19 or older as of the announcement date, who are either users of residential facilities or home-based people with disabilities. Priority is given in the following order: 1st priority - facility exitees, 2nd priority - exitees from independent (living) housing, 3rd priority - exitees from group homes, and 4th priority - home-based people with disabilities.

LH has lowered the housing support barriers at move-in by reducing the rental deposit for facility exitees and people with disabilities in the lower 70% income bracket from 8 million KRW to 4 million KRW.

Residents with disabilities will also receive personalized housing welfare services until they are stably settled in the community. The Disabled Housing Transition Support Center provides weekly activity services such as accompaniment for purchasing goods and hospital visits, financial management, housing management, medication intake, and exercise support through housing coaches.

During the first month of residence, a customized side dish delivery service based on health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia will also be provided.

Currently, Incheon City supports about 20 residential facilities for people with disabilities, including independent housing and independent living housing, where approximately 800 people live, but there are restrictions on the length of stay.

The opening of this supportive housing marks an important starting point for Incheon City's policies supporting deinstitutionalization and independent living for people with disabilities.

The city established the 'Five-Year Plan for Deinstitutionalization and Community Integration Support for People with Disabilities (2019?2023)' and, in last year's Incheon Welfare Baseline announced by the Incheon Social Service Agency, has made 'expansion of deinstitutionalization and independent living facilities for people with disabilities' a key policy among disability care policies.

In particular, the Disabled Housing Transition Support Center, which opened in June as the fourth nationwide, has enhanced expertise by overseeing deinstitutionalization support for people with disabilities. The center is operated by the Incheon Social Service Agency under a consignment agreement with the city.

An official from Incheon City stated, "The paradigm of disability welfare is shifting from protection and rehabilitation to independent living and social participation, and interest in the human rights and welfare of facility-residing people with disabilities is growing. Through the agreement among the three organizations, we will further accelerate the realization of independent living and housing welfare policies for people with disabilities."

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