고령자주택의 활성화에 관한 법정책적 개선방안 = The Legal-Policy Improvement Scheme for Revitalization of Housing for the Elderly

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Korean society has prepared for the residential problem through residential policy and system for the elderly in response to the ageing society. But in spite of government`s efforts to promote the residential welfare of the elderly population, real housing development and support plan for the elderly are very insufficient in reality. The elderly tend to live a life around their home due to their narrowed area of activity as they have the aging physical function and the occurrence of handicaps, mental and psychological shrinkage, social alienation, activity deterioration and weakening economic prowess. In this sense, the importance of dwelling is on the increase among the elderly. Housing for the elderly improves their independence and provides them with the safe and comfortable living space. Therefore, there is a need to establish the system and support plan for supplying the elderly population with housing for the elderly as the minimum space to maintain their life for themselves. Housing for the elderly can be said to be the social effort to enable them to maintain their healthy and self-reliant life by providing them with the space for maintaining a safe and comfortable daily life while exchanging with the local community through the construction of housing structure, the renovation of existing houses and all kinds of social support in consideration of the aging-induced physical, psychological, socal and economic characteristics. At the point in time when there is an increasing need for housing for the elderly with the increase of the elderly population, what is more important than anything else is to revitalize the supply of housing for the elderly. For this purpose, it is necessary to establish the system of the Elderly Welfare Act and the Housing Act that provide the construction of welfare housing for the elderly. It is necessary to provide realistic support for housing renovation to secure the space to enable the elderly to maintain their safe and comfortable daily life to fit housing for them. The current situation is that residential facilities for the elderly in Korea are confined to general houses and nursing facilities. When it is made possible to expand the supply of housing for the elderly alone that makes it possible for them to live an independent life and to be provided with both nursing and medical welfare, it can be said to be true residential welfare for the elderly established in legal and institutional terms.