LH provides housing support training for youth preparing for independence

2024.06.19. The Fair Economy — Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) announced that it will conduct housing support training for youth aging out of care, targeting workers at child welfare facilities nationwide on October 19-20.

At a policy meeting on youth aging out of care hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last month, LH gathered opinions that housing support capacity needed to be strengthened among frontline workers at child welfare facilities, and prepared this training together with the Mohw and the National Center for the Rights of the Child.

The online training will be attended by more than 600 participants, including staff from family foster care support centers in 17 metropolitan cities and provinces and dedicated independent-living support agencies, workers at child welfare facilities, and members of the Baramgaebi Supporters. The Baramgaebi Supporters is a self-help group in which youth preparing for independence directly conduct independent-living education, mentoring and other activities.

The training introduces various LH housing support programs for youth aging out of care and provides a detailed explanation of the application procedures and required documents for the popular jeonse rental housing program.

In addition, LH has produced videos covering this training content and other information useful to youth aging out of care, and has been releasing them on LH's official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@with_LH) since October 18.

LH has been supporting a range of programs, including housing assistance, to help youth aging out of care make a stable start in society as they leave facilities to begin a new chapter in their lives.

Over the past five years, a total of 6,759 youth preparing for independence have been provided with rental housing. Last year, in cooperation with S Woori Bank and the Korean Red Cross, LH supported 686 of them in subscribing to housing subscription savings accounts, helping them achieve long-term independence.

LH also partnered with FHI last year to provide a move-in allowance of 200,000 won (about $145) each to 161 youth preparing for independence to help cover the cost of daily necessities and household items needed when they first move into rental housing.

LH said it plans to continue preparing various programs in cooperation with related organizations this year to keep providing effective support for youth aging out of care.

For details on LH's housing support for youth aging out of care, inquiries can be made through LH's dedicated call center for youth aging out of care, the Youth+Start Counseling Center (1670-2288).

Ko Byeong-uk, head of LH's Housing Welfare Division, said, "LH has prepared and is providing various programs to support youth aging out of care as they take their first steps forward." He added, "We will serve as a solid pillar of support so that youth aging out of care can settle stably into society and pursue their dreams."