Public-private partnership spends 42 million won to upgrade housing
Cumulative support for 38 households reaches 1.3 billion won, becomes welfare model
South Gyeongsang Province's "Residents' Happiness Housing" project, a public-private effort to repair dilapidated homes for housing-vulnerable residents, marked its 38th completion in Jeokjung-myeon, Hapcheon-gun.
On Tuesday afternoon, the province held an unveiling ceremony at the home of a disabled household in Jeokjung-myeon. Jang Jae-hyeok, director of the province's Urban Housing Bureau, and other officials attended the ceremony to reveal the newly renovated home.
Residents' Happiness Housing is South Gyeongsang Province's flagship housing welfare project, providing free renovation of substandard homes for basic livelihood recipients, people with disabilities and grandparent-grandchild households. The project pairs pro bono construction work donated by local builders with living-supplies support from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH). Since its 2013 launch through last year, the project had supported 36 households, and Tuesday's completion brought the cumulative total to 38 households, worth 1.3 billion won.
The latest recipient was a farming household whose living conditions had been extremely poor, with a leaking slate roof and an outdated pit toilet. After a recommendation from Hapcheon-gun, the province and the contractor conducted an on-site inspection and selected the home as one where renovation would have the greatest practical impact.
Deokjin General Construction, a local company that has taken part every year for 14 years since the program's first house in 2013, carried out the project. The work cost a total of 42 million won ($31,300). The company covered 40 million won of the construction costs and completed customized work including a full roof overhaul, insulation and the installation of an indoor flush toilet. The LH South Gyeongsang Regional Headquarters provided 2 million won worth of appliances and furniture, and the contractor will continue to handle any living-related defects that arise after completion.
The province expanded the project's annual scale from two households to three this year by increasing private-sector participation. Following the 37th house completed in June, the 38th house was completed Tuesday, and the province plans to unveil the year's 39th and final house in Geoje in November.
"We are grateful to Deokjin General Construction and LH for their 14 years of dedication even amid a slump in the construction industry," said Jang, the Urban Housing Bureau director. "We will continue expanding public-private cooperation to widen the housing safety net for vulnerable residents."
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