Suwon Special Municipality Launches Recruitment for Small-Scale Housing Improvement Saebbit Town Candidate Sites

Suwon Special Municipality will begin accepting applications from the 10th for candidate sites of the "2026 Suwon-style Small-Scale Housing Improvement Management Area (Saebbit Town)" to improve residential environments in aging low-rise residential areas.

Candidate sites must have a maximum area of 30,000 ㎡ and contain 50% or more deteriorated or dilapidated buildings. Consent is required from at least 50% of landowners by number of owners and land area, respectively, and 30% or more by business implementation zone.

Business implementation zones must be surrounded by urban planning roads of 4 meters or wider and consist of no more than two areas within the candidate site. Areas that satisfy the consent rate for cooperative establishment approval may apply with certain criteria, such as area, eased in accordance with relevant laws.

This year, to lower the barriers to participation, the maximum target area has been expanded from the existing 20,000 ㎡ to 30,000 ㎡. Optional conditions such as housing density, unit density, undersized parcels, and housing road frontage ratio have been eliminated.

Areas that applied for or were selected as candidates for public redevelopment, redevelopment, or reconstruction projects are excluded. Urban regeneration areas, national heritage protection zones, and historical and cultural environment preservation areas must be consulted with relevant departments in advance.

Suwon City will evaluate residential consent rates, degree of deterioration, urgency of improvement, and appropriateness of zones to select up to three sites, with final selection scheduled for February 2027. Selected areas will receive support from Suwon City in establishing management plans, and individual small-scale housing improvement projects will proceed following Gyeonggi Province approval and announcement.

When designated as Saebbit Town, business periods can be reduced by 2 to 4 years compared to existing improvement projects through streamlined administrative procedures. Benefits also include reducing the floor area ratio burden from rental housing supply, floor area ratio relaxation from infrastructure and rental housing construction, and support for management plan establishment costs.

A Suwon City official stated, "We have expanded the recruitment area and eased application requirements so that more aging low-rise residential areas can participate," adding, "We will actively support resident-led improvement projects to proceed swiftly."