How to Apply for Public Rental Housing and Social Housing?

Hello. Today, I'm writing to share information about social housing. This system was introduced in 2019, and many people may not be familiar with it yet. I'd like to share its advantages and disadvantages based on my experience as a resident.

1. What is Social Housing?

"Social housing refers to rental housing supplied and managed by social economy entities, where citizens can live securely for a long time at affordable rents. The managing entity operates and supports various community space-based programs to help residents restore a sense of community." (Excerpt from the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Social Housing Introduction Website)

Social housing is a sub-category within the broader concept of social housing. In other words, if we divide it into three levels based on ownership, it sits right in the middle. Think of it as [Public housing provided by LH or SH] - [Social Housing] - [Privately owned general housing]. Social housing is a type of rental housing where public institutions provide construction costs, and social enterprises guarantee rent and leasing. These social enterprises select tenants through a subletting arrangement and rent out the houses once more. It's not just about supplying housing through a lottery; a social organization is involved to foster a sense of community living.

So, what are the advantages of social housing? The deposit + monthly rent is cheaper than the market price in the surrounding area. However, since it's a subletting arrangement, it's crucial to check whether the social enterprise guarantees the deposit properly. There have been cases where some businesses failed to return the deposit, causing problems.

Chosun Ilbo Article: Young People Who Moved into Seoul's Social Housing Face Losing Their Security Deposits
https://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/02/11/2020021100261.html

Please refer to the additional explanation provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government regarding this issue.
https://opengov.seoul.go.kr/mediahub/19758372

2. Deposit and Rent Levels

As of 2020, the Junggok-dong social housing (LH Junggok Snail House) provided by the Minsnail Housing Cooperative has a minimum deposit of 10 million KRW and a monthly rent of 208,000 KRW for a single person. If you apply for the minimum deposit conversion, the deposit can be reduced to 1 million KRW, and the monthly rent will increase to around 260,000 KRW. The number of recruitment slots is limited.
Since it's renting out houses rather than apartments, the number of recruitment slots is typically only around 10-20 per announcement.

※ Please note that social housing is not always one person per room; it can also be operated as a shared house. So, be sure to carefully read the announcement. Affordable rental options are mostly in the form of shared houses where the living room and kitchen are shared. Also, there are instances where rooms are shared (e.g., double rooms). If you're uncomfortable with communal living, you should carefully consider your decision before moving in. Of course, finding a rental property where each person has their own room would be ideal, wouldn't it?

3. Advantages of Social Housing +

4. Disadvantages?!

5. Eligibility for Social Housing

The basic requirements are listed below, but please note that they can change frequently depending on the announcement, so always check the relevant announcement first!

This is just a general guideline, so be sure to check the actual tenant recruitment announcement for the specific conditions.

6. How to Actually Apply for Social Housing?

Seoul Social Housing Platform http://soco.seoul.go.kr/soHouse/index.do
Green Friends https://www.greenfriends.co.kr/community/notice_list.php?page=1&page_mode=&key=ALL&keyword=&sh_category=ALL
Sharing and Future https://www.yesnanum.org/bbs/board.php?bo_table=notice
Minsnail Housing Cooperative https://minsnailcoop.com/137

In addition to the above companies, many other organizations also provide social housing. Refer to the announcement and submit your application within the deadline. -> Submit documents. -> LH or SH Housing & Urban Corporation will verify your eligibility for non-ownership, income, and assets. -> You will be required to undergo additional training and an interview for tenant selection by the social enterprise. The training and interview content may vary slightly depending on the organization. Be sure to check if there are any equity contributions or mandatory training required!

I hope this was helpful. Thank you.