Student groups seek multimillion-euro Helsinki building after HYY cuts facilities

Several student organisations at the University of Helsinki are seeking their own event and meeting spaces after the Helsinki University Student Union HYY sold the New Student House, Yle reports. The organisations lost almost half of the student facilities available to them.

The student union’s financial crisis forced the sale of the New Student House, which had served as a base for more than 100 student organisations. Among those forced to leave was Kannunvalajat, an organisation for students in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Kannunvalajat bought an almost 300-square-metre unit in an office building in Sörnäinen for about 75,000 euros. The organisation is renovating the unit, which will include a large hall and two smaller rooms. The renovation is expected to be completed in the autumn.

“We wanted to make sure that the organisations from the Faculty of Social Sciences would not be left without a place of their own during HYY’s changes to its facilities,” said Vilma Pesu, Kannunvalajat’s facilities and external relations officer.

The organisation had already considered buying its own premises, but HYY’s financial problems accelerated the plan. It is paying for the purchase with funds earned by its own company through entrance examination preparation courses. To limit noise for neighbours, soundproof curtains have been ordered for the windows.

Student facilities have almost halved

HYY’s student organisation facilities have decreased by about 1,000 square metres because of the loss of the New Student House.

HYY retained a majority stake in Domus Gaudium, the “third student house”, in Etu-Töölö. Activities will now be concentrated there, and all organisations will be able to use the building’s facilities.

“The culture of using the facilities will nevertheless change fundamentally,” said Janne Saranpää, HYY’s student organisation specialist.

Previously, individual organisations or groups of organisations had their own suites. In future, all the facilities at Domus Gaudium will be shared. This could mean that the facilities are available less often for the largest events, although availability may improve for some users because of a more even distribution, Saranpää said.

Organisations will also have less control over the interiors. Previously, they could furnish their own spaces with items including antique furniture and art. At Domus Gaudium, each organisation will have one cabinet for its belongings.

Student nations join forces to seek building

Kannunvalajat believes that its own premises support community-building and private events better than shared facilities at Domus Gaudium.

A group of student nations, which are cross-disciplinary student associations, has reached the same conclusion. Together with several other student organisations, they are seeking an entire apartment building to buy as a shared base.

“An individual organisation does not have enough money for this, but buying could be possible together,” said Riina Leinikki, curator of the Southern Finnish Student Nation, who has brought the group together.

The student nations have foundations behind them and several million euros in assets that could potentially be used to buy a building in Helsinki. They are currently considering several attractive properties found with the help of consultants.

HYY’s financial difficulties have also affected its wider operations. In 2020, the student union received a 2.8 million euro profit distribution from Ylva, the company that runs its business operations. The distribution ended in 2023. The central office was reduced by 1.5 person-years that year, while the annual membership fee for undergraduate students rose from 52 euros for the full academic year in 2023 to 85 euros now.

HYY has also reduced the operating grants it gives to student organisations. Funding for the Student newspaper was cut by 30,000 euros last year. The newspaper is on a development break this autumn, but its operations will resume later.