On July 13, Chungbuk National University signed an agreement with the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) to build public housing to make a more stable residential environment for students. The project will provide public rental housing for college students and newlyweds by utilizing a well-positioned university property.
  According to an LH official, the 200 units provided by the project will consist of single rooms and double rooms. There will be 100 rooms for CBNU students, and the others will be given to nearby universities students. The building construction is expected to begin in November 2018, and it will be completed by 2020. The location will be next to Gye-Yongwon, a dormitory currently in operation.
  As of 2017, CBNU had 19,678 students, and there were 4,132 students in dormitories. Students who cannot use the dormitories have to handle living alone and off-campus lodging. Han Hee-kyung, the head of the dormitories at CBNU, expects the housing will improve the students’ living conditions. Unlike other public housing in remote areas where public transportation is inconvenient, public housing constructed on the campus of CBNU has excellent accessibility, which improves access to university facilities such as libraries and university cafeterias, which will contribute to the university’s revenue generation. Additionally, rent of public housing is cheap, and students can save on transportation fees by living in public housing on campus.
  The effect of public housing that students can feel the most is relief from the burden of housing costs. The average monthly price of dormitories at CBNU is 350,000 won per double room. This is similar to the average monthly rent of a studio near CBNU, but it is cheaper to live in dormitories after considering the costs of electricity and water bills. The average monthly price of public housing is 100,000 won, which is very reasonable compared to a studio. Also, compared to dormitories, there are no rules about curfew or penalty points. Lastly, since the public housing will be built on campus and managed jointly by the LH and CBNU, control of outsiders and a stable residential environment will be guaranteed.
  Gu Yechan(’12, Dept. of Management Information Systems) said, “The contract period of the public housing will be two years, and the location will be   close to Jungmun, so it would be perfect for students to move there. Moreover, since monthly rent is 100,000 won, it is cheaper than a studio, and there is no curfew, unlike the dormitories, so their privacy and freedom will not be affected.”
  Jang Inchang, a realtor, said, “Currently, the number of students enrolled at CBNU is decreasing, and the economic situation is not improving. At a time when the government is tightening regulations on homeowners, the landlords who rent to students near CBNU might be affected due to public housing. Students’ welfare is a priority, but we should consider the livelihoods of the homeowners near CBNU. We should be able to co-exist.”
  As of 2017, the boarding rate of CBNU was 21 percent of its student population, similar to that of universities in the entire country. Additionally, the public housing will ease the burden on students. In this regard, Sim Gyu-yeong, a professor of Dept. of Architecture, said, “Building  public housing to provide a stable residential environment for college students is a good school policy, but if the LH rents studios and offers them to students, the landlords will also be satisfied.”

By Jung Jun-hoe
jjh38@cbnu.ac.kr