Daejeon launches 2026 youth monthly rent support program

Daejeon will continue its 2026 youth monthly rent support program, funding it entirely from the city budget to ease housing costs for more young residents — separate from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's national youth rent support program.

The Daejeon Youth Monthly Rent Support Program is a city-run initiative with relaxed age and income requirements compared to the national program. Young people who do not qualify for the government program may still apply if they meet the city's own eligibility criteria.

The city has run its own youth rent support program since 2022, selecting a total of 10,280 recipients through last year to help stabilize housing for local young people. This year it plans to select 1,000 young residents to reduce their housing costs and help them settle in the region.

Applications open Monday at 9 a.m. and close Sept. 10 at 6 p.m., and can be submitted online through the Daejeon Youth Portal. Eligible applicants must be registered residents of Daejeon as of the application date, aged 19 to 39 (born between Jan. 1, 1986, and Dec. 31, 2007), and must not own a home. They must also live in a rental unit with a deposit of no more than 100 million won ($71,800), a monthly rent of no more than 600,000 won and a household income at or below 120 percent of the median income standard.

Applicants whose monthly rent exceeds 600,000 won may still qualify if the combined total of their monthly rent and the monthly equivalent of their deposit does not exceed 800,000 won.

Selected recipients will receive up to 200,000 won per month — capped at the actual rent paid — for a maximum of 12 months, totaling up to 2.4 million won. The support covers rent from July 2026 through June 2027 and may be received only once in a lifetime.

If applications exceed the available slots, recipients will be ranked by score based on income level and rent amount. Results will be available through the My Page section of the Daejeon Youth Portal at 5 p.m. on Oct. 30. The first payment is scheduled for Nov. 25, after verification of rent payment documentation.

Duplicate benefits are not permitted. Applicants currently receiving support through the youth housing deposit loan interest subsidy program or the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's youth rent support program are not eligible to apply.

Oh Su-geun, head of Daejeon's education policy strategy bureau, said housing costs are "a representative fixed expense that directly affects young people's financial stability and independence." He added that the city would run the program with substance "so that it provides real, practical help for young people to ease their rent burden and prepare for their future in the region."

Detailed eligibility requirements and required documents will be posted in the recruitment notice on the Daejeon city website and the Daejeon Youth Portal from Monday. Inquiries can be directed to the Daejeon Youth Tomorrow Foundation.