Disabled man excluded from Seoul's new public housing after forced move

A 70-year-old man with a physical disability, who resided in a Seoul slum for 15 years, faces the prospect of returning to his dilapidated room after being excluded from a new public housing complex, 'Haedeun House'.

Despite living in the Seoul Station slum area since 2006, the man, identified as Mr. Jeong, now lives in a semi-basement room in a different slum. He suffers from the aftereffects of a stroke that affected his right arm and leg, and he recently fell down basement stairs, losing consciousness. Although recovering in a nursing hospital, he faces returning to his damp, mold-infested room upon discharge.

Mr. Jeong is bewildered as to why he cannot move into Haedeun House, a public rental housing complex meaning 'House of Sunshine, House of Hope,' located just a stone's throw away. The complex, built on floors 6-18 of the Haedeun Center as part of a redevelopment project, was constructed following persistent demands from slum residents and anti-poverty groups since late 2019. It offers 182 units, ranging from approximately 14 to 20 square meters, which are larger than typical slum rooms and cost less than half the rent, around 100,000 won per month.

While 142 households from the Yangdong 11/12 district moved into Haedeun House last September, Mr. Jeong was not among them. His ineligibility stems from being pressured by his landlord to move to a different slum across the street in September 2021, just before the buildings were to be demolished. This pre-emptive move meant he was no longer a resident within the specified eligibility period.

Seoul city regulations grant eligibility to slum residents who lived in the Yangdong 11/12 district from three months before the urban planning decision's announcement (December 23, 2021) up to the project implementation approval date (September 15, 2022). Mr. Jeong's relocation occurred before this window closed.

Lee Dong-hyun, an activist with Homeless Action, criticized the project implementers for allegedly urging building owners to evict slum residents to save costs on relocation compensation. He stated that despite repeated requests to Seoul city for intervention, public action was insufficient, leading to many residents being scattered.

Seoul city's own data from 2019 indicated that the Yangdong 11/12 district housed 471 people, with 40% being elderly or disabled. Only a portion of these residents secured spots in Haedeun House. Lee Dong-hyun further criticized Seoul city for promoting Haedeun House as a success for "vulnerable people's companionship" while making no effort to find or accommodate pre-emptively evicted residents during the move-in process last year.

Seoul city recently announced a call for applications for vacant units in Haedeun House at the end of June. The criteria include being homeless and residing in a Seoul slum for at least three months. Mr. Jeong and about 80 other households have applied. However, the selection evaluation does not offer special points for long-term residents of Yangdong 11/12 who were excluded, leaving uncertainty about whether Mr. Jeong can reunite with his acquaintances in Haedeun House. A city official noted that preference points have been increased for residents of the Yangdong 11/12 district or the same autonomous district, considering that many former residents relocated to nearby slums.