The Korea Housing & Urban Guaranty Corporation (HUG) will launch a lease stabilization body on the 22nd and issue a public notice at the end of this month to recruit landlords and tenants for its safe lease trust program. Under the scheme, tenants entrust jeonse deposits to HUG while landlords receive monthly income. Commitments have already exceeded 1 trillion won ($720 million), including units from Korea Land & Housing Corporation's purchased rental housing and asset management companies, with potential secured commitments of 2 trillion to 3 trillion won. HUG aims to hold 15 trillion won in jeonse deposits annually, which it estimates could support about 93,000 homes. The initiative is designed to fund housing supply, ease cash shortages at small and mid-sized builders and expand public rental housing over the medium to long term. Jeonse price verification and contract signings will begin in November, balance payments will be held in escrow, move-ins will start in January and a housing supply revitalization fund is targeted for establishment and registration in February. Eligibility initially covers homes valued at up to 2 billion won, regardless of housing type, income or assets. Properties with existing liens, monthly-rent contracts and semi-jeonse arrangements may participate, provided the full deposit is entrusted. Participation is voluntary, and tenants retain their right to request lease renewals. HUG is also pursuing a single-digit tax rate for rental income, broader loan guarantees for participating landlords and low-rate jeonse loans for tenants. Separately, HUG is expanding its Deundeun Jeonse public-rental program, under which it becomes the landlord. The 12th application round will offer 900 homes in the last week of September, while HUG has raised its annual target to 3,600 units from 3,000 and plans to reach 5,000 units next year. Demand has surged, with 49,640 applicants competing for 300 homes in the 11th round and 36,117 applicants for 118 homes in Seoul. HUG has widened eligible purchases to larger apartment complexes and properties sourced through bankruptcy creditors and public sales, and has introduced artificial intelligence tools to accelerate preliminary reviews. The agency also plans to use trust funds and private investment to expand public rentals, potentially allocating 20 trillion won to home purchases if the trust accumulates 100 trillion won.