High demand for Savonlinna senior apartments as 200 apply for 36 units
Over 200 applicants are competing for just 36 apartments in a new senior housing complex in Savonlinna, Finland, set to open this summer, reports Yle. The city’s municipal housing company says demand far exceeds supply for small, accessible rental units near the city centre.
Two barrier-free senior buildings have been constructed in Savonlinna over the past two years. The latest, a seven-storey Kipparintorni 2, will offer 18 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments, ranging from 32 to 44 square metres. Shared amenities include a sauna section on the top floor and a communal space for events on the ground floor. Residents of both senior buildings will also have access to a gym in the adjacent Kipparintorni 1, completed in 2024.
Hannu Kurki, CEO of the city’s housing company, acknowledges most applicants will be disappointed. “There’s strong demand for small, centrally located rental apartments, but unfortunately, we can’t accommodate everyone,” he said. Each unit will feature an air-source heat pump for cooling, a feature added after feedback from the first building. Monthly rents will average €16–17 per square metre.
The €6.5 million project received 25% of its funding through state grants for special-needs housing, with the remainder covered by low-interest loans. Construction is underway at the former deep-water port site, with move-ins scheduled for early July. The city will provide relocation assistance on moving day.
A third rental building, Kipparintorni 3, with 39 units open to all applicants, is also planned for the area. If construction stays on schedule, it will be completed by late May 2025. Site preparation began this spring.
Finland currently has around 750,000 accessible apartments—about a quarter of its total housing stock—but Kurki notes retrofitting older buildings (many constructed between the 1970s and 1990s) remains challenging. By the early 2030s, over a quarter of Finns are projected to be over 65, increasing pressure for senior-friendly housing.