Yeongdeungpo District Launches Special Measures to Protect Homeless and Flophouse Residents from Heatwave

Operation of Emergency Relief Teams,

Five Cooling Shelters to Open

On June 24, the Yeongdeungpo District Office in Seoul announced that it will implement a “Special Summer Protection Plan” until October this year to protect the homeless and residents of flophouses from the heatwave.

Mobile Bathing Service. Provided by Yeongdeungpo District.

The district, with the Welfare Division at its core, will operate an on-site emergency relief team in cooperation with related agencies such as the police and fire departments. The team will patrol vulnerable areas, including Yeongdeungpo Station and flophouse communities, more than six times a day to identify homeless individuals and provide tailored support, such as helping them enter shelters, connecting them to hospitals, and offering emergency relief. Patrols will be strengthened at night, when the risks of heatwaves and other dangers are higher, to prevent safety accidents.

The district will also operate cooling shelters where people can escape the heat. Five facilities have been designated: Bohyeon Comprehensive Support Center Emergency Shelter, Hope Support Center, Ongdalsaem Drop-in Center, Sunshine Nest, and Yeongdeungpo Flophouse Counseling Center. These shelters are equipped with air conditioning and shower facilities, allowing people to cool off and rest at any time.

Protection measures for flophouse residents will also be reinforced. Those especially vulnerable to health risks, including the elderly and people with disabilities, will be designated as special protection recipients. Nurses from counseling centers will check their health daily and provide emergency relief supplies and daily necessities as a priority. Emergency patients will be swiftly identified and assisted through patrols, and safety inspections will be conducted in preparation for heavy rainfall.

A mobile bathing service will also be in operation. A special vehicle equipped with shower facilities will be stationed in front of the Hope Support Center in the Yeongdeungpo flophouse community to help homeless individuals and flophouse residents maintain hygiene. The service will operate from Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with towels, soap, shampoo, and underwear provided free of charge. In addition, the district plans to disinfect the flophouse community and operate public air conditioners and cooling fog systems.

Yeongdeungpo District Mayor Choi Hokwon stated, “Heatwaves are directly related to the lives of people living in vulnerable housing conditions, so proactive protection is more important than anything else,” adding, “We will strengthen field-oriented protection activities so that homeless individuals and flophouse residents can spend the summer safely and in good health.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.