Why Are Young People Flocking to Ulsan City's 'U Home'?

Youth filled with hope are knocking on the doors of Ulsan.

The U-Home, which offers reasonable rental prices and essential living infrastructure, has precisely addressed the gap in youth housing shortages.

According to Ulsan City's recruitment for residents of the "Youth-Type U Home," which was implemented to improve housing satisfaction among young people from November 28 to December 10, a total of 589 applicants competed for 136 units across five locations, resulting in an average competition rate of 4.33 to 1.

By region, Dal-dong had the highest competition rate, with 139 applicants for 26 units, recording 6.28 to 1. This was followed by Samsan (5.37 to 1), Baekhap (4.92 to 1), Taehwa (3.6 to 1), and Yangjeong (2.25 to 1).

In particular, the most competitive housing type was Type C in Samsan (exclusive area of 23㎡), which saw 48 applicants for 4 units, resulting in a 12 to 1 competition rate and demonstrating the high preference among young people. Other popular types included Baekhap Type D at 8.5 to 1 and Dal-dong Type C at 7 to 1.

Perspective view of Ulsan City Youth-Type U Home.

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The five Youth-Type U Home complexes are being built as five-story buildings with exclusive areas of around 20㎡ per unit. Each unit will be equipped with specialized items such as a refrigerator, washing machine, induction cooktop, sink, and built-in wardrobe.

In the shared spaces, each building will provide at least one seasonal storage space per unit, as well as community facilities such as shared lounges and study rooms, with specific amenities varying by location.

Eligibility for residency requires applicants to be without home ownership as of the announcement date, to be young people residing in Ulsan (or with income based in Ulsan), and to meet certain income and asset requirements.

Ulsan City will review applicants’ eligibility by February next year, announce the final residents, and proceed with move-ins sequentially from February to April.

A city official stated, "The high interest in the Youth-Type U Home reflects the strong desire for housing stability among young people in Ulsan, once again highlighting the importance of the city’s youth housing policies. We will do our utmost to complete construction on schedule so that young people can enjoy a comfortable living environment as soon as possible."

Ulsan City began the Youth-Type U Home project in earnest in 2022. Last year, 36 units in Seongan-dong were completed, followed by 38 units in Sinjeong-dong this year. All 150 units at six U Home sites currently under construction, as well as 48 units under the new-build purchase agreement model, are scheduled to be supplied by the first half of next year.

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