Helsinki city housing company offers Linnanmäki amusement park day for residents

The Helsinki city-owned housing company Heka will rent out the Linnanmäki amusement park for its residents for one morning in August, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The event is intended for 5,300 residents, but the company has declined to disclose the cost, citing commercial confidentiality.

Heka CEO Maria Aspala told Yle that the event aims to strengthen community spirit among residents. “We have a community of nearly 100,000 Helsinki residents, and such events are part of meeting residents and good resident work,” Aspala said.

When asked about the cost, Aspala stated that Heka does not disclose specific commercial terms of individual contracts. “We are subject to public procurement laws, but we do not reveal the exact commercial details of this or other agreements,” she explained.

Heka operates on a cost-recovery basis, meaning expenses are ultimately covered by tenant rents. However, Aspala emphasized that the Linnanmäki event represents a “very small” expense in the company’s approximately €550 million annual budget and will not affect rent levels.

The initiative comes amid criticism of Heka’s recent steep rent increases. Aspala noted that while not all residents may find an amusement park visit essential, the event is meant to foster a sense of community. “Our residents are in very different life situations,” she said.

Heka’s resident committees have separate allocated funds, and the Linnanmäki event is not drawn from those budgets. The company has not confirmed whether it negotiated a discounted rate with the amusement park, where standard entry costs €5 and a large wristband for rides is €53.