Busan Urban Corporation Holds Third Policy Forum on Improvement Strategies for Aging Public Rental Housing

Presentation and Discussion on the Present and Future of Public Rental Housing

Improvement and Support for Issues Facing Aging Public Rental Housing

Busan Metropolitan Corporation (BMC) held a policy forum on the 28th under the theme of "Improvement Directions for Aging Public Rental Housing."

The event began with a congratulatory speech by Kim Jaeun, Chairman of the Construction and Transportation Committee of the Busan Metropolitan Council, followed by presentations from Lee Youngeun, Director at the Korea Land and Housing Institute, and Kim Eunji, Director of Site Planning Architects, after which a panel discussion took place.

The discussion was chaired by Woo Singoo, Professor at Pusan National University, and included Lee Bokjo, Member of the Busan Metropolitan Council; Ha Seongtae, Director of Housing and Architecture at Busan City; Lee Seunggyu, Team Leader at LH; Lee Donghyun, Director at Busan Research Institute; Park Hogeol, Reporter at the Busan Ilbo; and Park Youngsoo, Director of Planning and Management at Busan Metropolitan Corporation.

Kim Junghan, Director at Site Planning Architects, introduced the redevelopment project for aging rental housing by Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) in his presentation, emphasizing that the qualitative improvement of the residential environment should take precedence over quantitative supply in the redevelopment of public rental housing. He also called for improving social perceptions of rental housing and urged the establishment of practical relocation measures.

In the next presentation, Kim Eunji, Director, summarized the current state of BMC rental housing based on a survey of residents. She explained that while residents are satisfied with well-managed living environments, significant costs for repairs and maintenance due to aging require overall redevelopment. She highlighted issues such as rising rents and the preservation of living conditions, arguing for the necessity of active support from both the national and local governments and the need for multifaceted consideration of relocation measures.

During the subsequent discussion, in-depth debates were held on pressing issues such as residents' consent for relocation, the need for planning relocation measures, the necessity of prioritizing between project feasibility and welfare, financial and policy support, the continuity of welfare services for residents, and directions for improving public rental housing.

Additionally, various opinions were presented, including securing active support from the national and local governments, ensuring project feasibility through increased floor area ratio, going beyond simple renovations to incorporate energy efficiency, medical and smart technologies, and reviewing the use of circulating rental housing near complexes.

Kim Yonghak, President of Busan Metropolitan Corporation, stated, "I would like to express my gratitude to Chairman Kim Jaeun of the Busan Metropolitan Council and all distinguished guests for attending the forum," and added, "We will take to heart the valuable insights shared through the presentations and discussions, and use them as a cornerstone to present a future vision and direction for aging public rental housing to enhance the residential welfare of Busan citizens."

Since April, the corporation has been conducting a project to establish a mid- to long-term roadmap for improving BMC-owned public rental housing that has reached 30 years of age, and is set to complete the project by the end of October.

Busan Urban Corporation is holding the third policy forum on the 'Improvement Direction of Aging Public Rental Housing' and taking a commemorative photo.

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