Tax Support for Housing Welfare for the Elderly

Korea is rapidly entering an aging society. Of course, the state has the obligation to implement policies to improve the welfare of the elderly, and since the right of the elderly to live a humane life is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution, the state should naturally establish and implement various policies to improve the quality of life of the elderly. However, becoming an aging society inevitably means that the number of working-age people will decrease, so if welfare benefits for the elderly are increased indiscriminately, it will place an undue burden on the young people who are responsible for this. Therefore, when formulating policies for the elderly, it is necessary to carefully consider the impact on the younger generation. For the elderly, a dwelling is not just a physical space, but a place where they receive emotional connection, social solidarity, and physical care. In particular, the elderly are forced to move less than younger people due to the deterioration of their physical abilities, which means that they spend more time in their residences than they can be outside for activities. Therefore, the state has a responsibility to make efforts for the housing welfare of the elderly so that the right to a humane life as required by the Constitution is guaranteed. Specifically, it is necessary to simplify the enrollment process so that the elderly who live in their own homes who have difficulty in making ends meet can easily join the housing pension system, and at the same time provide various tax benefits. In addition, there is a need to introduce tax incentives for home renovation costs so that the elderly can live comfortably in their dwellings despite their reduced physical abilities and can convert them into barrier-free houses or houses equipped with various auxiliary facilities. On the other hand, tax subsidies given to operators and managers of welfare facilities for the elderly or welfare homes for the elderly indirectly contribute to the improvement of the housing welfare of the elderly, so it is necessary to expand them more actively. However, since such tax subsidies for the elderly on the other hand impose an economic burden on the younger generation, the government should not recklessly impose a policy of favoritism toward the elderly, and should make efforts to realize the housing welfare of the elderly to the extent that the younger generation can afford it, considering the marriage rate and birth rate of the younger generation.