Housing Supply Using Closed Schools Remains Minimal Nationwide
Housing supply on closed school sites has seen almost no actual conversion cases, making progress difficult. Take a look at the administrative procedures, resident opposition, and site limitations, and see how to address supply in the metropolitan area.
The government is reviewing housing supply plans that make use of closed school sites, but it turns out there have been almost no actual cases of converting them for residential use. Among the 4,008 closed schools nationwide, there have been virtually no confirmed cases of their being used for housing or public rental housing.
According to this article, there are many closed school sites with good locations, such as the former Gonghang High School site in Gangseogu, Seoul, but the process of repurposing educational land for other uses is complicated, and public acceptance is low, making it difficult to push projects forward. Current utilization cases are mostly educational, cultural, and welfare facilities, while residential functions have been limited to staff housing or facilities for specific groups.
The government is citing closed schools and unused school land as one way to expand housing supply in the Seoul metropolitan area, but cases that have actually progressed to construction are very limited. The article pointed out that the main obstacles are the limits of small sites, mismatch with local demand, and prolonged administrative procedures.