The cornerstone of unity

64 STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
In 2015, there were 30,000 student accommodations in Finland, with 65,000 students staying in. According to 
the research and current demand Finland has sufficient student housing especially in smaller cities, although in 
bigger cities there still is scarcity. This means that a major obstacle to social mobility has been removed 
– 
everybody can now apply to study knowing that there will be reasonably priced student accommodation near the 
school or university. 
Student housing organisations were mostly founded in the late 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s, after 

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the state began granting loans for student house construction in 1966. Student organisations and municipalities 
created foundations or municipally owned organisations, which always include student, tenant and town 
representatives on their boards. 
The way that the student housing issue was handled is a typical example of how Finns solve problems: 
despite a lack of resources the first houses were built in several towns over 30 years ago and, with the help of 
state loans, continued to rise one by one on building sites that municipalities had reserved for this purpose. 
Thirty years later construction is complete, loans are being paid off, older houses have even been renovated, 
and the student housing problem has been solved. 
When student housing organisations were founded, they sat down together with student unions and drew up 
some basic principles. Most of these still apply, and there are some interesting differences compared to other 
European countries. 
Each town has only one student housing organisation, which takes care of all the student housing in that area. 
Student accommodation is nothing to do with universities or colleges. 
Student housing organisations are independent of schools. This means that, unlike many other European 
countries where student accommodation in is reserved for university students only, Finnish student housing is 
available to any student, irrespective of what they choose to study after high school. It is also rather common in 
Finland for student families to occupy student flats. 
Student accommodation is situated away from the campus areas (with some famous exceptions), and the 
houses are not dormitories but regular blocks of flats. The most common type of student accommodation is a 
two or three bedroom flat, in which students have their own room and a shared kitchen and bathroom. This type 
of flat can also be easily altered for family use. New student accommodation is comprised of studio flats for 
single students and small family flats. 
The goal of reasonably priced and safe accommodation near the school for every student who needs it has 
basically been accomplished. Student housing organisations have also been able to contribute to the 
internationalisation strategies of local schools and universities. In 2016, foreign students occupied 17% of the 
student accommodations. Internationalisation is there in everyday life.
Ulla-Mari Karhu 
– Managing director,
Finland’s student housing LTD 2000–2008