Seongdong-gu Provides Customized Home Repair Support for Households with Seniors Aged 65 and Over

Published 07 Jun.2024 06:47(KST)

Support for households with seniors aged 65 and over regardless of income or homeownership, including threshold removal, safety handrails, and ramps... Residential environment improvements such as desks, beds, and LED lighting for children living in semi-basement or substandard housing

Seongdong-gu Panorama

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jeong Won-oh) announced that it will launch the “Home Repair Project for Seniors and Children” to improve the living environments of households with seniors aged 65 and over and low-income children through public-private cooperation with Habitat for Humanity Korea.

According to a recent study conducted by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, 85.5% of elderly people aged 60 and above wish to continue living in their current neighborhoods, and to do so, they desire housing maintenance services (52.5%) and home environment renovations (49.1%).

Accordingly, Seongdong-gu is focusing on a home repair project to prevent safety accidents such as falls, enabling seniors to spend a healthy old age in their homes.

Through on-site inspections by Habitat for Humanity Korea, seniors’ behaviors are observed and consultations are conducted to provide customized support tailored to individual physical conditions and lifestyles, including ▲installation of anti-slip tiles ▲removal of door thresholds ▲installation of safety handrails and ramps.

Initially, Seongdong-gu promoted the fall-prevention home repair project targeting seniors who are basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty class, and basic pension recipients, but from June, the eligibility has been expanded to all seniors aged 65 and over.

Therefore, any senior aged 65 or older registered as a resident in Seongdong-gu can apply for home repair support regardless of income or homeownership status.

In addition, Seongdong-gu is also promoting a project to improve the living environment of low-income households with children under 18 years old living in semi-basement or substandard housing.

To create a safe and comfortable living environment for children, customized furniture such as desks and beds, as well as LED lighting installation, will be supported.

Applications for the “Home Repair Project for Seniors and Children” can be submitted by June 21 through the Seongdong-gu Office website or at the Housing Policy Division and local community service centers. If applications exceed capacity, priority will be given to low-income households and those with poor housing conditions.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “We are making every effort to create a city where everyone from children to seniors can live well through customized home repair support and housing environment improvement projects,” adding, “We will carefully look after residents’ lives so that they can stay long in their homes and enjoy everyday happiness.”