Seoul City to Provide Up to 2.5 Million KRW in 'Hope House Repair' Support Funds in Second Half of Year

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is recruiting low-income households to repair their homes in the second half of this year. They plan to provide up to 2.5 million KRW in repair costs to households that have been unable to afford home repairs despite being in poor living conditions.

Seoul City Hall exterior view
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

On the 12th, Seoul announced that it will recruit 1,200 households to participate in the "Hope Home Repair" project aimed at improving the poor living conditions of low-income families. Compared to the first half of the year, both the number of supported households and the amount of support have been increased. Households wishing to apply can do so through their local community service center by the 31st.

Households with an income recognized amount at or below 60% of the median income, whether homeowners or renters, are eligible to apply. Among applicants who meet the income requirements, final selection will be made based on priority criteria such as semi-basement dwellers and emergency households recommended by district offices.

For homeowners, applicants must be residing in the relevant house to apply. Households with an income at or below 47% of the median income are recipients of maintenance benefits and thus are not eligible for this support. Additionally, support is only provided for properties classified as "housing" under the Housing Act; therefore, semi-residential facilities such as goshiwon (small dormitory-style rooms) or unauthorized buildings are not eligible. Households that have received support within the past three years cannot apply this year.

The home repair items supported include a total of 18 types, ranging from wallpaper, flooring, and windows to safety installations such as flood barriers and flood alarms. Considering the significant damage caused by flooding in semi-basement homes due to last year’s heavy rains, safety installations like flood alarms and flood barriers have been newly added for semi-basement houses starting this year. Through cooperation with the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH Corporation), the city has established and applied standard material specifications and unit prices for each construction item to ensure uniform construction, while also managing the allocated budget to be appropriately used for repairs.

Furthermore, the support amount per household, which was 1.2 million KRW until last year, has been increased to 2.5 million KRW. Seoul decided to raise the support amount considering recent increases in material and labor costs and cases where the previous support limit was insufficient for necessary repairs.

Han Byung-yong, Director of the Seoul Housing Policy Office, said, "'Hope Home Repair' started in 2009 and has provided customized home repairs to a total of 18,000 households to date. We will continue to strive to improve the quality of life for vulnerable housing groups and ensure safe living by expanding the 'housing safety net.'"

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