Helsinki to Shift Rental-Housing Allocation to Heka Amid €24 Million Vacancy Loss
Helsinki will let Heka manage most of its public-rental housing selections after vacant units cost the city an estimated €24 million this year.
Facing an estimated €24 million loss from unoccupied public-rental flats, Helsinki will overhaul its Heka tenant-selection process. Starting next summer, Heka will assume responsibility for 90 % of allocations, with the city keeping the socially-based 10 % and control over subsidised housing. The shift follows a July report that 65 % of offers were rejected or ignored, and a 2025-2026 study that failed to reach consensus on solutions.
City representatives argue that branding, unit upgrades and market-aligned rents are also needed, while Heka’s CEO Maria Aspala stresses faster, transparent procedures could cut vacancies in half. The proposal will be debated by the city’s urban-environment committee on Tuesday, with the city council set to decide later this autumn.
