정주 여건 변화에 대응한 농촌 주거정책 추진 방안

Abstract

도시와 비교해서 농촌은 여러모로 정주 여건이 불리한데, 주거 분야는 특히 도농 격차가 큰 영역이다. 어느 농촌 마을을 가든 노후주택이 산재해 있고, 빈집이 방치된 모습을 쉽게 볼 수 있다. 또한 인체에 유해한 석면 슬레이트 소재 지붕 주택을 개량하지 않고 살아가는 주민들이 상당수이다. 겨울철 난방비 부담도 대다수 주민들이 겪는 문제이다.

그동안 정부는 농촌의 생활환경 개선을 위해 꾸준히 예산을 투입해왔다. 그러나 주민 체감도가 높은 주거 분야의 정책은 제한적인 수준에서만 시행되었다. 최근 들어 농림축산식품부를 중심으로 주거 관련 사업을 확대 추진하려 시도하고 있지만, 아직 출발 단계를 벗어나지는 못한 상태이다.

농촌 주민의 주거 현실에 대해 문제 지적 자체는 많았지만, 관련 연구가 부족했던 탓에 실증적 지식이 충분히 축적되지 못했다. 구체적인 증거 자료가 뒷받침되지 않으니 정부의 농촌 주거 분야 정책이 힘을 받는 데도 제약이 따를 수밖에 없었다.

이 연구는 농촌 주민의 주거 실태에 대한 실증 조사를 바탕으로 정부 차원의 대응 필요성이 높아지고 있는 주거 분야의 정책 추진 방안을 논의하고자 이루어졌다. 특히 농촌의 공동화‧고령화 심화 및 최근의 귀농‧귀촌 증가 같은 복합적인 여건 변화를 고려해서 앞으로 요구되는 정책 과제들을 다루는 데 초점을 두었다.

Background of Research Rural areas have had problems of depopulation and aging for a long time. As a result, rural villages have many empty and deserted houses, and their overall living environment has deteriorated. This study aims to discover policy tasks among residential changes which have occurred with changes in rural settlement conditions and to present implementation plans. For this, we examined recent changes in rural settlement space, households and population; checked the current state of rural residents’ housing situation and their demand for policies; and suggested major policy tasks based on the data.

Method of Research We investigated the present condition at the national level through statistical analysis and conducted mail surveys and interviews. Mail surveys were carried out in a random manner nationally to about 1,000 local correspondents (the response rate: 56.8%). We also interviewed four villages (74 households) that could clearly reveal the housing situation of rural areas.

Research Results and Implications We proposed the following implementation plans for rural residential policies based on the research result. First, policy goals should be established on the basis of the present rural living environment. The priority needs to be improving the current survey method of residential conditions. Particularly, samples and questions should be modified so that they can reflect the reality of rural areas. Second, more customized policies are necessary to enhance the quality of rural housing. It is required to support the amelioration of residents’ old dwellings and to expand the construction of common living facilities for vulnerable residents’ housing welfare. In addition, comprehensive village improvement is needed beyond the amelioration of individual houses. Third, more flexible residential policies should be developed in response to urban people’s demand for settlement in rural communities. Rental houses can be one of the means and should reflect households’ features such as the elderly and city people who return to rural areas. Local governments will lead the policies at an early stage, but the private sector’s voluntary participation should be induced in the mid and long term. Fourth, residential policies need to be considered important in the rural space policy, because changes in residential space and villages reflect population and social changes in rural areas including aging. The status of housing policies should be strengthened in the space policy.

Researchers: Joo-In Seong and Young-Dan Kim Research Period: 2014. 1.～2014. 10. E-mail address: jiseong@krei.re.kr