Housing is a fundamental human right and an essential condition for a stable life. However, due to economic inequality and disparities in housing environments, many people struggle to secure adequate living spaces. As a result, housing allowance has become a crucial policy tool for safeguarding housing rights. This study examines the practical role of housing allowance in our society and its contribution to protecting housing rights. It focuses on redefining the status of Korea’s housing allowance by comparing it with international systems, aiming to explore more effective and equitable policy directions. Furthermore, the report goes beyond merely diagnosing the current system. It proposes development strategies and improvement measures for Korea’s housing allowance by analyzing policies in OECD countries and drawing policy implications from case studies in Germany, Finland, and the United States.

The purpose of this study is to build an archive to systematically collect, organize, and preserve historical records of South Korea's Self-Sufficiency Support policies, which have evolved through contributions from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector. Based on a literature review, stakeholder interviews, and discussions, the researchers identified important materials from national archives, academic works, policy reports, and private donations, supplemented by partnerships with key institutions. Structured using the Dublin Core metadata standard, the archive ultimately contains 966 records. The primary users are policymakers, researchers, and activists, who can access the material through the Self-Sufficiency Support Policy Archive platform within the Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs eLibrary. While the archive provides a comprehensive collection, the scarcity of early and local materials emphasizes the need for ongoing supplementation.