Helsinki opens Östersundom to homes after 17-year wait

Helsinki is allowing new homes in Östersundom after 17 years of waiting, Yle reports. Exception permits could cover up to 1,000 detached houses in the city’s easternmost district.

Five permits have been granted so far, and construction has reached roof height at two sites. Anette Makkonen and her family have permission to build outside a detailed local plan, next to the home where she grew up. She currently lives in Pasila.

“Detached-house living is wonderful. We will have views across the field to the horse farm,” Makkonen said.

The permits mark a change for Östersundom, where a building ban remained in place until 2021. Construction has not proceeded since then because detailed plans are still unfinished. Helsinki has started work on several smaller plans and wants the district to become a model for modern, nature-oriented detached-house living.

Water infrastructure needs upgrading in several parts of the district, and some of the existing system is old, said Pasi Rajala, the city’s chief planning officer. Once the pipes are in place, he said, Östersundom could become Helsinki’s most important area for new detached-house construction.

Many residents remain angry over Helsinki’s 2009 expropriation of land from neighbouring Sipoo. Residents and landowners have waited to build during the 17 years since the area came under Helsinki’s control, Rajala said.

Tiina Auer, who lives beside Östersundom church, said the city could have identified plots for new homes in 2009. She believes residents had to give up their land to Helsinki for very little money. Auer has put her plot up for sale and wants to move closer to her daughter and grandchildren in Vantaa. She said none of them wants to move to Helsinki.

Östersundom has about 1,700 residents, down from around 2,000 when Helsinki took control of the area. Services have also declined, and the district now has only one shop. The city hopes to attract about 5,000 more residents through the new housing plans. Further construction would depend on a decision about a light rail line, while Helsinki’s longer-term vision is for a district of about 40,000 people. Broader development is not expected to begin until the late 2030s, as planning remains unfinished.

Tags: Helsinki, housing, Östersundom