Daegu City Prepares Winter Cold Survival Measures for 100 Homeless People and 578 Ssokbang Residents on the Streets

Provision of Lunch Boxes, Cold Weather Supplies, and Sleeping Bags

Emergency Shelter at Daegu Station and Others

Daegu City announced on the 23rd that it has established and will implement the “2023 Winter Protection Measures for Homeless and Residents of Gosiwon” to prevent damage from heavy snowfall and cold waves expected during the winter season, and to ensure prompt response and appropriate protection in case of crisis situations such as street homelessness.

The winter protection period this year will last for five months, from November 1 to March 31 of the following year. The period from December to February, which corresponds to the midwinter months, is designated as the intensive protection period. Daegu City, district offices, homeless facilities, and related organizations will establish a rapid and close cooperation system to strengthen on-site activities focusing on areas densely populated by street homeless individuals. They will conduct response activities to prevent cold-related accidents and deaths by checking health conditions and distributing cold-weather relief supplies.

Homeless people on the streets of Daegu city.

With a budget of 20 million KRW for environment-tailored support for homeless and Gosiwon residents, 100 street homeless individuals will be provided with cold-weather prevention items such as lunch boxes (five times a week), cold-weather clothing, sleeping bags, and hot packs to prevent cold-related accidents. To prevent malnutrition, bottled water, ion drinks, and side dishes will be supplied. For the 578 Gosiwon residents, cold-weather supplies such as blankets and cold-weather clothing will be provided, along with coal briquettes, kimchi, food packages, and daily necessities supported by private donations. The “House of Sharing Happiness” in Daean-dong, Jung-gu, a convenience facility for Gosiwon residents, will be utilized to offer laundry, shower, and beauty services.

Night emergency shelters for street homeless individuals will be operated near homeless-dense areas, including 18 rooms at Daegu Station and 3 rooms at Dongdaegu Station. Especially this year, as a special project for cold wave preparedness, temporary accommodations such as motels will be provided in cooperation with district offices and the Homeless Comprehensive Support Center to ensure that even those who refuse facility admission and are exposed to crisis situations due to simple or temporary homelessness are not left on the streets.

Residents of jjokbang rooms in Daegu city are preparing blankets and other items to cope with the winter cold wave.

Furthermore, to ensure the safety of users of homeless facilities against fires and other hazards, safety inspections of facilities will be conducted in cooperation with the fire department. To prepare for sudden cold spells caused by boiler failures, some parts of the “House of Sharing Happiness” in Daean-dong, Jung-gu, and a house in Sangyeok-dong, Buk-gu, will be additionally used as emergency protection facilities besides temporary accommodations such as motels. Protection and crisis management will be strengthened to allow homeless and Gosiwon residents to use these facilities.

Jung Eui-gwan, Director of the Health and Welfare Bureau of Daegu City, stated, “We will strengthen on-site response activities to prevent damage to homeless and Gosiwon residents caused by cold waves, and we will pay closer attention and carefully monitor to ensure that no neighbors are left in crisis.”

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