Lee Jae-myung's Flagship Policy 'Basic Housing (Long-term Rental and Ownership Types)' Advances Toward Legislation

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Bills to implement 'Basic Housing (long-term rental and ownership types),' a flagship policy of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, continue to be submitted to the National Assembly, bringing the policy's realization one step closer.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 18th, starting with the bill for 'Special Act on Promoting Supply of Land-separated Ownership Housing (ownership type)' led by Rep. Noh Woong-rae (Mapo-gap, Seoul) on February 8, an amendment to the 'Special Act on Public Housing (long-term rental type)' led by Rep. Lee Gyu-min (Anseong) on February 25, and an amendment to the 'Special Act on Public Housing (ownership type)' led by Rep. Lee Gyu-min on April 14, three basic housing-related bills have been continuously introduced in the National Assembly.

Previously, the Province announced its intention to shift the paradigm of public housing policy from 'residential welfare for vulnerable classes' to 'universal housing rights guarantee,' and separately announced the long-term rental type and ownership type of Gyeonggi Province Basic Housing in July and December of last year.

The basic housing long-term rental type is a housing model that provides housing for at least 30 years at reasonable rental rates without any qualification conditions to households without homes.

The basic housing ownership type is a land-lease format where the public owns the land and only the housing is sold, with provisions including a 10-year occupancy obligation period and mandatory buyback by the project operator when the housing is transferred, making it a housing type where residents can essentially live for life.

The three bills submitted to the National Assembly are connected to securing legal grounds for Gyeonggi Province's basic housing policy. Rep. Lee Gyu-min's two bills establish the basic housing ownership and long-term rental types as new categories within public housing and define their characteristics as supply targeting households without homes.

Rep. Noh Woong-rae's bill concerns the supply of public housing in a land-lease format where the public owns the land and only the housing is sold, which can be linked with Gyeonggi Province's basic housing ownership type policy.

If each bill passes through the National Assembly, issues with existing public rental housing such as restrictions on move-in qualifications (income, assets, age), location concerns, and speculation on rental housing can be resolved, allowing Gyeonggi Province's basic housing policy to become a reality, the Province expects.

Hong Ji-sun, Director of Urban Housing at Gyeonggi Province, said, "I believe this legislation is a first step in changing the paradigm of public housing policy to guarantee universal housing rights, and its significance is very great. This is a time when enterprising judgment from central government ministries is necessary for guaranteeing universal housing rights and stabilizing real estate prices, and we will actively cooperate with central government ministries and lawmakers to ensure final passage of the bill."

Meanwhile, the Province held a 'policy discussion session on Gyeonggi Province Basic Housing' in January with participation from National Assembly members and private sector experts, and in February promoted social consensus formation by holding the 'Gyeonggi Province Basic Housing Conference' and opening the 'GH Basic Housing Information Center.'