Oranssi Asunnot offers affordable and communal youth housing. In particular, the communal nature of the housing, as well as the activity of the residents and the fact that they work together, make living at Oranssi a unique experience.

All our apartments are located in old wooden houses. There are many things that go with this, which you don’t have to worry about in a modern apartment building. Around half of our apartments are heated with wood, so in Winter residents should be prepared to keep a fire going in their stove regularly. Most of our houses also have communal showers and saunas, so you might need to walk across the staircase or yard in a bathrobe to get to the shower.

In Oranssi, residents are expected to be very active in looking after their own living environment. In our old houses, there is always something small or big that needs to be fixed. From cleaning the common areas to major renovations: from painting the facades to renovating the roofs, our residents are involved in everything. At Oranssi, volunteering is a typical way of looking after the gardens and carrying out renovations. Residents are assisted by Oranssi Asunnot employees, who provide advice and guidance and bring the necessary tools and materials. Residents’ voluntary work in maintaining their homes helps to keep costs down, resulting in a low rent.

Our residents share the responsibility for their houses, but also the opportunity to maintain and shape their living environment and bring their ideas to life. Naturally, this involves a lot of organising work together. Common issues are discussed and decided at the house meetings of each community, which are held whenever necessary. When an apartment becomes available, the selection of a new tenant also takes place at a house meeting.

The residents spend time together, for example, at social events and house meetings. In this way, neighbours get to know each other, which in turn creates a sense of community among the residents. We see community as an important resource that helps our residents create a safe and meaningful living environment. Through community and volunteering, we also keep costs down.

Housing affordability is an important goal for us at Oranssi. We believe that affordable rent brings freedom to the lives of our tenants. We do not aim to make a financial profit from our activities, but our rent is set at a level that covers the costs of maintaining the buildings and the management and development of Oranssi Asunnot.

From the very beginning, the aim of Oranssi has been to provide spaces for housing and culture for young people. Young people under 25 are always selected for the vacant apartments. However, there is no time limit on the duration of the stay. Although the majority of our residents are young people, there is a wide range of ages. We offer our residents a home, which means that our residents can stay in their apartments for as long as they feel comfortable. So we also have residents who, because of their age, have a different perspective from younger residents and who know the history of the houses over a longer period of time.