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 are still close to this basic idea today, when we produce functional housing and housing- related services in environments that promote good aging. In our strategy, we have defined: “The foundation is a non- profit provider of housing and services for special groups operating in the Lahti area, caring and constantly developing its operations. Through its activities, the foundation promotes high-quality living at home that supports the functional capacity of its residents. The foundation aims to set an example in the development of housing and service environments for special groups and in promoting the wellbeing of the elderly.”

We are a non-profit foundation and all revenues from our operations are spent for the benefit of our tenants and elderly people of Lahti. We want to be an exemplary actor and a pioneer in what good living for the elderly is like in Finland. Our goal is that the foundation’s homes are accessible blocks of housing and services where the living environment is barrier-free and there is space and opportunity for people to meet.

Good and accessible living

We are a respectful, innovative and reliable producer of a good life. Our operations in the foundation’s homes are based on safety, functionality, community, comfort and accessibility. We remove thresholds from spaces, but for us accessibility also means clear and understandable communication, prevention of exclusion and loneliness, inclusion and genuine community, on everyone’s own terms, of course.

Wide cooperation network

We receive support for the construction of housing from the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). We have a comprehensive cooperation network. We belong to e.g. to the Finnish Association for the Welfare of Older Adults (VTKL), the Union for Senior Services (VALLI), Finnish Property Owners (RAKLI), the Finnish Real Estate Federation (FREF), the Finnish Real Estate Management Federation, Finnish Affordable Housing Companies’ Federation – KOVA, Suomen Asuntoliitto and the European Federation for Living (EFL). A large group of other service providers operate in our premises, such as Päijät-Sote, Päijät-Hämeen sosiaalipsykiatrinen säätiö sr (Mente), Jyränkölän Setlementti ry, Lahden Lähimmäispalvelu ry, Yrjö ja Hanna Kodit and Sivina. A quarter of the real estate stock owned by the foundation is directed to other special groups. The foundation owns the properties at Lepolankatu 10, Lepolankatu 14 B, Lepolankatu 14 E, Hinaajakatu 2, Harjulankatu 1 and Kannuskatu 6, where the operational units of Mente, wellbeing services county of Päijät-Häme and Yrjö ja Hanna Kodit operate.

The nature of the foundation’s non-profit activities is that it offers its premises free of charge to various citizen groups and associations for gathering and activities.

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