The government is launching a call for proposals for "specialized housing," public rental units tailored to the needs of young adults, seniors, and families with children. Four types of customized housing will be supplied, combining residential space with care, employment, and welfare services.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 22nd that it will accept specialized housing proposals from public housing project operators, including local governments and local public corporations, for approximately 60 days from the 23rd through May 22. Projects selected through the process will receive financial support including loans and financing from the Housing and Urban Fund.
There are four types of proposals.
First, region-proposed specialized housing allows project operators such as local governments to independently design tenant qualifications, selection methods, and residency periods according to local demand, including promoting childbirth and return-to-farming initiatives. This type was introduced in the second half of 2024.
Second, senior welfare housing combines units equipped with accessibility features such as sliding bathroom doors and safety handrails with social welfare facilities including senior dining halls and health consultation rooms. Eligible residents are homeless seniors aged 65 and older.
Third, youth-specialized housing provides residential spaces in prime locations such as transit-accessible areas, featuring floor plans preferred by young adults and built-in furniture, along with specialized services. The target residents are unmarried young adults and university students.
Fourth, job-linked supportive housing supplies specialized facilities such as co-working spaces and startup centers alongside residential units. Target residents include entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized enterprise workers, and industrial complex workers.
Starting this year, construction cost support will be newly introduced for specialized facilities within youth-specialized housing and child-care-friendly platforms. Support of 7.64 billion won will go to 10 child-care-friendly platforms, and 480 million won to three youth-specialized facilities.
Meanwhile, Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) will also launch a call for proposals for "specialized purchase rental housing" starting April 3. Under this program, private entities propose rental housing with spaces and services tailored to tenant characteristics, which the public sector then purchases and supplies at below-market rates.
The Ministry plans to announce candidate sites for specialized housing by the end of June, following proposal reviews, site inspections, and evaluation committee deliberations. Lee Ki-bong, Director General for Housing Welfare Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "Specialized housing has high tenant satisfaction due to facilities and services that consider the characteristics of each user group," adding, "We urge active participation from public housing project operators."
