South Korea is facing one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, with the problem particularly severe in metropolitan areas such as Seoul. Escalating housing costs have become a major barrier to marriage and childbirth, prompting policymakers to ...
South Korea is facing one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, with the problem particularly severe in metropolitan areas such as Seoul. Escalating housing costs have become a major barrier to marriage and childbirth, prompting policymakers to promote public housing as a strategy to alleviate housing burdens and support fertility intentions. However, the effects of public housing may differ by the mode of supply. In particular, mixed-income developments, where public and private units coexist within the same residential complex, have emerged as a potentially influential housing model.
This study examines whether residing in a mixed-income development influences the fertility intentions of married women living in public housing. Fertility intention is conceptualized not merely as an individual decision, but as an outcome shaped by the interaction of individual characteristics, housing conditions, residential environments, and broader regional contexts. This study focuses on the moderating role of local economic conditions, particularly housing prices.
The findings indicate that residents of mixed-income developments exhibit higher fertility intentions than those living in standalone public housing. Notably, this effect is not uniform but follows a nonlinear pattern, peaking in districts with moderate housing prices. This suggests that the influence of mixed-income development is contingent upon local socioeconomic conditions, proving most effective in neighborhoods that are neither severely deprived nor excessively costly.
Overall, the results suggest that mixed-income developments can serve as residential environments conducive to fertility intentions when situated in contexts with lower spatial disparities in living conditions. Future housing policies addressing low fertility should consider not only the quantity of public housing supply but also the quality and locational characteristics of mixed-income developments, alongside efforts to reduce spatial disparities in living conditions.