Mapo-gu Opens 'Seobom House,' the Nation's First Integrated Care Safety Housing for Multi-Generational Families

[Seoul District News] Mapo-gu to Hold Opening Ceremony for Mapo-type Care Safety Housing ‘Seobom House’ at 3 PM on the 14th
& Nationwide First Generation-Integrated Care Safety Housing Born Through Business Agreement Between Mapo-gu and LH... Eunpyeong-gu and LH Seoul to Promote Nationwide First ‘Self-Reliance Preparation Housing’ Offering Rent at 30% of Market Price... Gangdong-gu Allocates 980 Billion Won in First Main Budget of 8th Term Focusing on Livelihood Economy Recovery and Urban Safety Enhancement

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) has established ‘Seobom House,’ a Mapo-style care and safety housing facility usable by multiple generations, located in Ahyeon-dong, Mapo-gu, the first of its kind nationwide, and held an opening ceremony on the 14th.

‘Seobom House’ is a Mapo-style care and safety housing that supports residents in need of care to continue living an independent and self-reliant life in their usual place of residence. It targets residents requiring care across a wide age range, from their 20s to their 90s.

This project was promoted through a business agreement between Mapo-gu and Korea Land & Housing Corporation (hereinafter LH). LH supports the purchase rental housing, while the district is responsible for tenant selection and providing integrated care services, overseeing the overall operation of the facility. To date, all 23 households, including rental housing and temporary residences, have completed moving in.

The building consists of one basement floor and ten above-ground floors. In addition to the 23 residential units, social contact spaces such as neighborhood living facilities that offer care classes for residents and nearby community members have been secured to foster a sense of community among tenants. Furthermore, a barrier-free design (BF) has been applied to ensure comfortable living for elderly and mobility-impaired residents.

Additionally, a social worker is stationed in the office to provide integrated care services for residents, including counseling, home medical visits, and linking various care resources within the community.

About 40 people attended the opening ceremony, including Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, the head of LH Seoul Regional Headquarters, city and district council members, Seobom House residents, and members of the Mapo-gu social economy network. They watched a video documenting the establishment process of Seobom House and lit a message tree to celebrate. There was also a meaningful moment when Mapo-gu and LH jointly presented move-in gifts to the resident representatives.

A district official said, “We hope Seobom House will become a true ‘home’ living together with the local community, not just a facility providing housing and care services.”

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “Seobom House is a pioneering case where a local government and LH have partnered as welfare policy collaborators to attempt community-integrated care. Through the successful operation of Seobom House, we will create a healthy and warm community where multiple generations live together.”

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) is taking the lead nationwide by partnering with LH Seoul Regional Headquarters to support the social settlement of youth preparing for independence.

On the 13th, Eunpyeong-gu and LH Seoul Regional Headquarters signed a business agreement to promote the ‘Eunpyeong-type Independent Preparation Housing.’

‘Eunpyeong-type Independent Preparation Housing’ is a specialized housing utilizing LH purchase rental housing, providing youth preparing for independence (or about to) with the experience of living alone before their protection ends, a first nationwide. This independent living experience supports their stable settlement as healthy members of society.

Eunpyeong-gu is responsible for tenant selection and operation of the independent preparation housing for youth, while LH supplies the purchase rental housing at about 30% of market rent. The target housing includes four units in total: two in Yeokchon-dong, one in Galhyeon-dong, and one in Gusan-dong.

Earlier, in September, the district established ‘Eunpyeong Jajuncheong,’ a space where youth preparing for independence can form a community, the first of its kind nationwide. It operates as a space to actively address blind spots not covered by government support.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “We plan to operate this space to shorten the social adaptation period and strengthen the stability of independence for youth preparing to live on their own. We hope it will be of some help for young people taking their first steps into society to achieve stable independence.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 15th that the first main budget of the 8th local government administration has been approved by the Gangdong-gu Council.

The budget amount is a total of 980.3 billion KRW, an increase of 108.2 billion KRW (12.41%) compared to 872.1 billion KRW last year.

This main budget was formulated prioritizing sound fiscal management while focusing on recovering the livelihood economy amid economic downturn caused by high inflation and high interest rates, as well as strengthening resident safety, welfare, and urban safety.

Since 2023 is expected to see increased difficulties in the low-income economy, the social welfare budget was expanded to 541.7 billion KRW, and 33.2 billion KRW was allocated for flood control measures, urban safety, and health budgets to build a seamless safety net.

While actively allocating budgets to essential areas such as welfare, health, and urban safety, efforts were made to secure fiscal soundness. As real estate prices are expected to decline and local tax revenue uncertainty increases, the district consolidated overlapping projects and boldly eliminated unnecessary or inefficient projects relative to budget input.

Additionally, 21 billion KRW was transferred to the public office facility construction fund to prepare for future financial needs.

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “Next year, low-income and middle-class residents are expected to face more difficulties due to falling real estate prices and high inflation and interest rates. We plan to reorganize overlapping or inefficient projects and invest the saved budget in building a more detailed welfare network and strengthening the social safety net.”

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