Helsinki housing programme seen as unrealistic by many politicians and civil servants
City considers selling its rental properties
A number of politicians and civil servants in Helsinki feel that the city's target of getting 5,000 new dwellings a year is completely unrealistic. The view is expressed in a draft for a programme on land use and living.
"It is really difficult to reach that goal. What is the point of putting forward such impossible figures?" said City Board member Kauko Koskinen (Nat. Coalition Party), who serves as chairman of the Helsinki's Public Works Committee.
Only 2,300 new residential units were built in Helsinki last year. In 2005 the number was 2,700.
Both the Public Works Committee and the Housing Committee held meetings on Tuesday to discuss how to react to the programme, which is in force until 2017. The boards agreed to resume discussion on the mater at a later date .
Koskinen's views are shared by the chairman of the Housing Committee, Pekka Saarnio (Left Alliance) and by the committee's member Raimo Nenonen (SDP).
Timo Vuolanto, head of research at the City Planning Department, confirms that in the coming years it will not be possible to get even close to the target. "In the coming three or four years there are projects in which about half of the number of homes in the target will be built.
The sharp rise in prices could reduce demand.
When demand is weak, there is the danger that the construction of new residential areas will be implemented slowly. Construction companies are currently putting the breaks on production.
Koskinen is calling for new concrete measures to boost the production of housing. "We have to find new medicines for getting affordable housing. There is not an endless supply of buyers for expensive homes financed on the free market", he observes.
One way to push down the price of housing could be for the city to sell off its old rental apartments. The matter was discussed in the Public Works Committee. In a few years, more than 3,000 rented apartments will become available for selling.
"Many new apartments would come onto the market. At the same time the city would be spared costly repairs. The money could be used to build new rental apartments", Koskinen says. Karhuvaara is also in favour of the idea.
The fall in the production of rental apartments is a cause for concern for both politicians, and for Mikko Luukkonen, head of Helsinki's Housing Affairs Division.
"Demand for rental housing has increased significantly in recent years. There is the danger that people in service professions will no longer find homes in Helsinki, and will have to move far away to surrounding municipalities", he warns.
"It is really difficult to reach that goal. What is the point of putting forward such impossible figures?" said City Board member Kauko Koskinen (Nat. Coalition Party), who serves as chairman of the Helsinki's Public Works Committee.
Only 2,300 new residential units were built in Helsinki last year. In 2005 the number was 2,700.
Both the Public Works Committee and the Housing Committee held meetings on Tuesday to discuss how to react to the programme, which is in force until 2017. The boards agreed to resume discussion on the mater at a later date .
Koskinen's views are shared by the chairman of the Housing Committee, Pekka Saarnio (Left Alliance) and by the committee's member Raimo Nenonen (SDP).
Timo Vuolanto, head of research at the City Planning Department, confirms that in the coming years it will not be possible to get even close to the target. "In the coming three or four years there are projects in which about half of the number of homes in the target will be built.
The sharp rise in prices could reduce demand.
When demand is weak, there is the danger that the construction of new residential areas will be implemented slowly. Construction companies are currently putting the breaks on production.
Koskinen is calling for new concrete measures to boost the production of housing. "We have to find new medicines for getting affordable housing. There is not an endless supply of buyers for expensive homes financed on the free market", he observes.
One way to push down the price of housing could be for the city to sell off its old rental apartments. The matter was discussed in the Public Works Committee. In a few years, more than 3,000 rented apartments will become available for selling.
"Many new apartments would come onto the market. At the same time the city would be spared costly repairs. The money could be used to build new rental apartments", Koskinen says. Karhuvaara is also in favour of the idea.
The fall in the production of rental apartments is a cause for concern for both politicians, and for Mikko Luukkonen, head of Helsinki's Housing Affairs Division.
"Demand for rental housing has increased significantly in recent years. There is the danger that people in service professions will no longer find homes in Helsinki, and will have to move far away to surrounding municipalities", he warns.
Helsingin Sanomat