Even 4 Years After the Sillim-dong Tragedy, Gaps in Housing Support Remain

Although the system to support vulnerable housing groups has been strengthened since the 2022 semibasement disaster in Sillimdong, Gwanakgu, Seoul, there are still concerns on the ground that many people are being left out of support. According to the article, a woman in her 70s, referred to as A, lived in a poor room in Seongbukgu, Seoul and tried to receive help from a housing welfare center, but at the time her residence was not classified as nonhousing or as falling below the minimum housing standards, so she was not included among the recipients of public support. In the end, she was able to move to a basement room through a connection with a private foundation. The revised Framework Act on Housing, set to take effect on the 3rd, includes basements and rooftop rooms in housing condition surveys and provides a basis for offering rental housing or support for housing and moving expenses when relocation is deemed necessary. However, on the ground, it is seen that blind spots remain because there is a lack of manpower and survey systems to actually identify and support residents of socalled ‘jiokgo’ — basement rooms, rooftop rooms, and goshiwons. Experts and officials in the field point out that detailed surveys capable of identifying subdivided housing in the form of singleroom units, as well as the expansion of local housing welfare centers, are necessary. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to release a revised bill within this year that will supplement standards not only for floor area but also for structure and facilities.