The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 28th that it will actively prepare housing support measures for residents who lost their homes in the fire at Guryong Village, a shanty town in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Its position is that if local governments request it, modular homes stockpiled by Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) can also be deployed immediately after the necessary procedures.
The ministry said, “We will actively seek housing support measures so that the displaced can return to daily life quickly, in consultation with related agencies such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government.” It went on to explain, “We operate an emergency housing support program that provides Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) rental housing and other units free of charge for two years to victims who lost their homes to disasters.”
Emergency housing support is a program based on the Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Public Housing, under which LH rental housing is provided free of charge for two years to victims who have lost their place to live in a disaster. The cost is split evenly between LH and the local government.
The ministry said LH has secured 100 modular homes in preparation for situations requiring rapid housing support. If a local government request comes in, they can be supplied right away after land arrangements and contracts are completed, it explained.
The fire started at around 3:50 p.m. on the 27th in a temporary structure in District 2 of Guryong Village and spread to the surrounding area, and was brought under control at around 4:39 a.m. on the 28th, about 12 hours and 50 minutes later. The fire is understood to have affected 107 people in 77 households in Districts 1, 2 and 3 of the village.