Revitalization of Urban Regeneration through the Happiness Housing Project as Public Housing Policy

Urban space structure in South Korea when through drastic changes ever since public housing policies began their full-fledge implementation. That is, public housing policies represent the main cause for formation of the current urban space structure, as the public houses are constructed in accordance with changes of demographic/social structure, considering changes of housing demand, in urban spaces demanded by the end users. After rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 1960’s, each government in different periods have implemented housing supply policies through massive urban developments, to resolve the issue of housing shortage and residential instability. Phase 1 New Towns were developed in the 1980’s resulting in suburbanization of the Seoul Area, followed by urban sprawl due to construction of small-size New Towns after deregulation in the 1990’s, and construction of Phase 2 New Towns for resolution of housing shortage in the early 2000’s and the resulting urban problems. In the mid-2000’s, construction of Bogeumjari houses in GB areas led to insufficient housing supply in downtown areas, and the period after 2010 witnessed continuous deterioration of existing urban areas and acceleration of the rental housing crisis caused by rental housing shortage in downtown areas. Moreover, the residentially vulnerable classes consisting of young, 1~2-member households is expanding, with the real estate market in recess. Therefore, the government is trying to achieve urban regeneration through public housing policies so as to resolve the urban space problem and the housing problem at the same time, and the Happiness Housing Project has been implemented as a policy to achieve that goal. The Happiness Housing Project for young, residentially vulnerable classes in downtown areas, is going through diversification aimed at conjunction with urban regeneration projects in downtown areas, as exemplified by conversion of rental houses in residential environment improvement project districts and redevelopment/reconstruction project districts into happiness housing, and supply of happiness housing in conjunction with small reorganization projects for deteriorated residential areas in such areas as those excluded from New Town designation. Continuous supply of Happiness Housing in conjunction with urban regeneration requires mixed-use residential development which includes convenience facilities and public facilities, along with improvement of rental conditions (rental period/rent) and diversification of project methods, considering that the project is implemented in downtown areas.