Although the government is providing national funding to assign housing welfare workers to permanent rental housing complexes, it has been revealed that 34 out of 37 complexes operated by local housing corporations have no housing welfare workers at all due to a lack of local funding. In contrast, all 111 complexes operated by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) have completed the assignment of housing welfare workers.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on September 29 to Rep. Heo Young of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, there are 148 permanent rental housing complexes with 500 or more households that are prioritized for housing welfare worker assignments as of 2026. Of these, 115 housing welfare workers have been assigned to 114 complexes. One complex in Gwangmyeong, which spans both Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, has been assigned one worker from each region.
Housing welfare workers are responsible for identifying households in crisis within permanent rental complexes with 500 or more households, providing counseling, and connecting them with local resources such as welfare agencies. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been providing national funding since 2023 and announced plans to expand the deployment of these workers in the “Housing Stability Plan” released on the 22nd.
Deployment rates varied significantly depending on the managing entity. Among the 37 complexes operated by local housing corporations, only three—two managed by the Busan Urban Development Corporation and one by the Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation—have housing welfare workers assigned. Thirty-four complexes, accounting for 91.9% of those operated by local housing corporations, do not have housing welfare workers.
Among complexes without assigned housing welfare workers, those operated by the Seoul Housing & Urban Development Corporation (SH) accounted for the largest number, at 15. These include four in Gangseo-gu, four in Nowon-gu, three in Gangnam-gu, three in Jungnang-gu, and one in Mapo-gu. Next were seven in Busan, three each in Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon, two in Incheon, and one in Sejong. Among the complexes without assigned welfare workers were large-scale complexes such as those in Dalseo-gu, Daegu (2,824 households), Suseong-gu, Daegu (2,646 households), Nowon-gu, Seoul (2,619 households), and Gangseo-gu, Seoul (2,411 households).
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport provides 50% of project costs from the national budget for complexes operated by LH and SH, and 80% for those operated by other local development corporations. However, since SH and local development corporations unable to secure the remaining local funding cannot participate in the projects, a situation where national funds remain unused continues to persist.
Looking at the figures by year, in 2024, all 37 complexes operated by local housing corporations failed to secure local funding, resulting in the full amount of 1.757 billion won in national funding going unused. Starting in 2025, two complexes in Busan and one in Gyeonggi participated in the program, but the remaining 34 complexes failed to secure matching funds in both 2025 and 2026. The national funding allocated during this period amounted to 1.809 billion won annually. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has also included 1.857 billion won in national funding in next year’s budget proposal to support the deployment of local public corporations and other entities.
Staffing conditions at complexes where personnel have already been assigned are also insufficient. On average, one housing welfare worker is responsible for 1,232 households.
Meanwhile, demand for welfare services is increasing. The number of elderly people living alone in permanent rental housing rose from 52,461 in 2016 to 73,571 in 2020 and is projected to reach 96,596 by August 2026—an 84.1% increase over the past 10 years. During the same period, the number of households receiving basic livelihood support rose from 113,830 to 130,133, and there are 42,989 residents with disabilities.
Representative Heo Young stated, “Since national funding has already been secured, local governments also need to secure local funds in line with the program’s objectives and actively participate in the deployment of housing welfare workers.” He added, “If there are regions that find it difficult to participate in the program due to financial constraints, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport should not stop at merely allocating a budget but should actively work with the relevant local governments to find solutions.”
