Life Issues and Demands for Housing Welfare Service Among Vulnerable Mid-Aged Persons Living Alone : Focusing on Residents of a Permanent Public Rental Housing Complex in Cheongju-si

Abstract

This study was aimed to explore life issues and housing welfare service demands of limited-income mid-aged persons living alone in Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, in order to provide information for development and implementation of supporting programs targeting them. From July to November 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted to mid-aged single-person households (age 40-64 years) in a permanent public rental housing complex in Cheongju-si and 229 useable responses were analyzed. Major findings were as follows: (1) More than one fourth of the respondents were found have no one interacting on a regular basis and about a quarter did not go out usually. (2) Many respondents were found to have experienced serious health issues within past 12 months. (3) Most demanded housing welfare services were provision of meal or side dishes, and renewal of wallpaper or floor coverings. (4) Respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, social security beneficiary status, length of residency in the community) were found to have influences on their interpersonal exchange, health problem experiences, security and safe-related perception and experiences, and demands for housing welfare service. (5) A linear combination of housing satisfaction, psychological problem experience, and perception of community safety was found to be able to explain 24.9% variance of life satisfaction.