ARA The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland

The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA), which acts under the Finnish State, is a governmental agency which implements housing policies. We are an expert partner that knows housing well, and we promote housing that is ecologically sustainable, high-quality and moderately priced. ARA belongs to the administrative field of the Ministry of the Environment, and employs approximately 55 people. Our operational centre is located in Lahti.

ARA grants subsidies, support and guarantees; coordinates and supervises rental housing owner communities and the use of residential rental properties and, in its development-based operations, looks for and generates new ideas for the utilisation of housing and related construction. Moreover, ARA is involved in projects linked with the residential market and produces information on, for instance, housing construction supported by the State and housing for special groups (e.g. senior citizens, the physically challenged, young people and the homeless), in addition to ARA rental and right-of-occupancy housing stock.

The typical ARA employee functions in expert tasks. For instance, s/he handles interest rate subsidy loan and benefit decisions, supervises and coordinates the use of rental housing constructed with State support, participates in cooperation projects with various interest groups and partners and takes part in the development of housing construction supported by the State, or provides support for the realisation of these functions. S/he works both independently and in various working groups, travelling periodically to various parts of Finland.

Our work provides a fascinating perspective into social housing in Finland as well as the opportunity to be included in developing its future. Our working community is highly versatile, and we look after the expertise and well-being of our personnel in a wide variety of ways by, for example, offering the entire staff training and development days as well as activities to maintain job-related well-being.