Guryong Village Fire Evacuees Granted 7-Day Temporary Shelter; SH Considers Additional Housing Support

Temporary shelters are being provided for first 7 days to evacuees who lost their homes in the fire at Guryong Village in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, while Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH) is considering offering additional temporary housing support thereafter.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Gangnam-gu, and SH, the three organizations are in discussions regarding housing and livelihood support measures for 77 households and 107 individuals affected by the previous day's fire.

An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, "It is still too early to disclose specific measures as discussions have not fully matured," adding, "We expect it to be at a level comparable to the support provided during the Guryong Village fire last January."

Gangnam-gu is immediately providing emergency shelter and relief supplies to the evacuees.

In accordance with Seoul Metropolitan Government guidelines, the district has set up 7-day temporary shelters at Gaepo Middle School, Guryong Middle School, and nearby hotels, while also supplying necessary goods.

Whether to extend accommodation support beyond the 7 days will be decided after assessing the situation of the evacuees.

During the fire last January, accommodation support was also extended beyond the basic support period, taking into account factors such as the Lunar New Year holiday.


More long-term housing measures are being reviewed by SH.

While promoting the redevelopment of Guryong Village, SH has been offering existing residents the option to move into temporary relocation housing.

Under conditions where the deposit is fully waived and rent is discounted by 60 to 100 percent depending on income levels, the majority of the approximately 1,000 existing households have accepted this and relocated.

However, SH understands that about 140 households currently remaining have not accepted these relocation terms.

Some residents are demanding guarantees for distribution rights after redevelopment or the promotion of the project through a local housing association method.

While the offer for temporary relocation housing remains valid for the 77 households affected by this fire, SH is discussing separate housing support measures with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Gangnam-gu to be implemented after the short-term temporary shelter support ends, given that the fire has immediately left them without a place to stay.

In particular, considering the living spheres of the evacuees, measures are being reviewed to secure housing within Gangnam-gu or nearby areas if possible.

However, the key will be how many vacant units immediately available can be secured among the housing operated by SH.

An official from SH stated, "As residential spaces were immediately lost due to the fire, we are internally reviewing what kind of temporary housing support we can provide apart from existing relocation measures," adding, "We intend to arrange housing in nearby areas as much as possible, taking the convenience of the residents into consideration."

Guryong Village is currently in the final stages of resident relocation for redevelopment.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government tallied that as of the 15th, 950 out of a total 1,107 households had relocated, leaving 157 households, while SH currently estimates the non-relocated households to be around 140.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to complete relocation by the first half of next year and initiate construction on a housing complex consisting of 3,739 households in the second half.

However, the completion date of relocation may be adjusted as eviction lawsuits are underway against some non-relocated residents.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and SH believe that this fire and the resulting evacuees will not have a significant impact on the overall redevelopment project schedule.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.