The South Korean government is moving to improve public rental housing, which has long faced criticism for low residential satisfaction due to small unit sizes, aging facilities, and poor access to living infrastructure.

The government plans to expand the supply of public rental housing in preferred locations such as areas near subway stations and downtown centers, increase the proportion of mid-sized units, and elevate housing quality through measures such as reducing inter-floor noise, expanding built-in appliances, and upgrading finishing materials.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport included these public rental housing innovation measures in its "Housing Stability Plan" announced on September 21.

First, the government will introduce a new "universal public housing" model designed to allow middle-income and various other demographics to reside long-term, supplying 190,000 units by 2030.

Universal public housing will primarily consist of units with a dedicated area of 55 to 85 square meters in development sites and 40 to 60 square meters in downtown areas, while single-person youth households will also be provided with units of 30 square meters or more in principle.

The government plans to upgrade existing 2-bay-centric structures to 3- and 4-bay layouts and enhance finishing materials to match the quality of private housing.

Eligibility criteria will also be expanded.

To allow various homeless actual-demand buyers to move in, the government is reviewing plans to ease income and asset criteria compared to current public rental housing.

More than 50% of the supply units will be preferentially provided to young adults aged 19 to 39.

Depending on regional demand, the preferential supply ratio for young adults can be increased up to 70%.

A total of 11,000 units of youth-exclusive towns combining customized designs and specialized shared spaces tailored for universal rentals will also be created.

Rent will be set lower than surrounding market rates, with considerations to adjust it based on factors such as youth status, marriage, and childbirth.

The deposit ratio will also be planned to allow individuals to choose within a range of 20% to 100% based on their economic circumstances.

The basic residency period is 6 years, with a maximum stay of up to 20 years.

The quality of newly constructed public rental housing will also be raised.

For construction-type rentals, the placement in prime locations such as areas near subway stations will be expanded when establishing public housing district plans.

For purchased rentals, living convenience will be evaluated to give bonus points to preferred locations, with a primary focus on educational facilities for newlywed couples and multi-child families, public transportation for young adults, and welfare and medical facilities for the elderly.

The upper limit for the supply ratio of mid-sized public rental units within public housing districts has been expanded from less than 20% previously to 40% or less.

For integrated public rental studio-type units (31 square meters of dedicated area), a balcony-extended floor plan will be introduced to expand the actual usable area by approximately 5 square meters.

These plans will be preferentially applied to about 2,000 units across 5 districts, including Bucheon Daejang and Namyangju Wangsuk, before being expanded further.

Internal housing quality will also be improved.

To reduce inter-floor noise, Grade 1 floor structures will be applied, and the range of built-in appliances equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) smart care functions—such as air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators—will be expanded.

Insulation performance will be reinforced, and the government is reviewing plans to raise the Zero Energy Building certification for newly constructed public rental housing from the current Grade 5 to Grade 4.

Designs moving away from uniform slab-type structures to incorporate creative designs and the latest residential trends will also be expanded.

Aging public rental housing will be improved in residential environments through reconstruction, remodeling, and facility upgrades.

Reconstruction will be promoted for 13,000 units among permanent rental housing complexes that are 30 years past completion, targeting them by 2030.

Existing units centered around 26 and 33 square meters of dedicated area will be expanded to 30 to 84 square meters, while living social overhead capital (SOC) and social welfare facilities will also be expanded.

Taking into account relocation demand by complex, relocation measures utilizing purchased and redevelopment rentals will be established, and project timings will be adjusted for sequential development.

Starting with Hagye Complex 5 this year, construction will begin on Sanggye Madul next year, and Junghyeok Complex 1 in 2028, with projects sequentially pursued in areas like Gayang and Suseo as well.

For permanent and national rental housing aged 15 years or older where reconstruction is difficult, remodeling to completely upgrade wallpaper, flooring, bathrooms, and windows will be carried out for 10,000 units annually.

The complex public rental application process will also be streamlined.

Recruitment notices and qualification verifications previously handled separately by operators such as LH will be integrated into a single "Unified Waiting List System."

Qualification verifications, which were previously conducted at every application, will be reduced to once a year, shortening the period from application to winner selection from approximately 150 days to 40 days.

If preferred regions and housing types are registered in advance, AI will recommend available housing units, competition rates, and expected move-in timings.

Following a pilot operation next year, the integrated system is planned to be operated starting in 2028.

Admission criteria will also be improved.

Measures will be established to convert and reflect held assets into income.

Upon contract renewal, asset criteria will be set higher than at the time of initial move-in, and assets held in policy financial products related to housing and youth asset formation, such as housing subscription savings accounts, will be excluded from asset screenings.

Even when relocating to other regions due to job transfers or other reasons, residents will be able to continue living in public rental housing by adding residents of public rental housing in regulated areas to the preferential supply targets for public rental housing in non-regulated areas.

(Photo: Provided by Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)