About us

The Lahti Foundation of Housing and Services for the Elderly was founded in 1964 by the City of Lahti. When the foundation was founded, its primary goal and the basis of its activities was to provide elderly people with reasonably priced housing. We continue to live by this basic idea today, more than half a century later, when providing functional housing and services related to housing in environments that promote good ageing. In our strategy for 2018–2022, we specify: ‘The foundation’s goal is to provide reasonably priced housing that meets the wishes and needs of elderly people until the end of their lives.’

We are a non-profit foundation and all revenues from our operations are spent for the benefit of our tenants. As a social enterprise, we exist and live for our tenants. We want to be an exemplary operator and trailblazer in demonstrating what good housing is like for elderly people in Finland. Our goal is for the foundation’s housing to comprise easy-to-reach residential and service blocks that offer an accessible housing environment as well as room and opportunities to meet other people.

Good and accessible living

Our operations are based on safety, functionality, communality, comfort and accessibility. We remove doorsteps from facilities, but for us accessibility also means clear and understandable communication, prevention of social exclusion and loneliness as well as inclusion and genuine communality – on everyone’s own terms, of course. The foundation’s values are respect for human dignity, reliability and innovativeness.

Wide cooperation network

We receive support for the construction of housing from the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) as well as the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA). We have a comprehensive network of partners and are a member of the Finnish Association for the Welfare of Older People (VTKL), the Union for Senior Services (VALLI), RAKLI, the Finnish Real Estate Federation (FREF), the Finnish Real Estate Management Federation, Suomen Asuntoliitto and the European Federation for Living (EFL). A large group of other service providers operate in our premises, including Päijät-Hämeen hyvinvointikuntayhtymä, Päijät-Hämeen sosiaalipsykiatrinen säätiö sr (Mente), Hoiva Mehiläinen Oy, Lahden Lähimmäispalvelu ry, Stella Kotipalvelut Oy, Yrjö ja Hanna Kodit and Osuuskunta Ratas, among others. One fourth of the real estate owned by the foundation is targeted at special groups other than elderly people.

As part of the nature of the foundation’s non-profit operations, it offers its premises for use by civic groups and associations for their assemblies and activities, free of charge.

The Lahti Foundation of Housing and Services for the Elderly has been granted the Finnish Social Enterprise Mark by the Association for Finnish Work.