Otakaari project connects the campus to Teekkari Village – the AYY Board signed a pre-contract on land transactions with Aalto University
In August 2022, the Espoo City Council approved an amendment to the Otakaari plan that allows for the construction of 700–850 new student apartments between the core areas of the campus and Teekkari Village. AYY’s Representative Council has decided on a commitment to purchase the land, and today the Board has signed a pre-contract with Aalto University Campus & Real Estate (ACRE) for the acquisition of land held by the university. Pre-contracts will be signed with the City of Espoo and Senate Properties too. The final number of apartments will depend on the size of the apartments, among other things. Mainly studios are planned for the buildings.
The construction project consists of four buildings located on the slope between Otakaari and Martti Levón Park (Ossinlampi). The scale of construction and the appearance of the facades on the Otakaari side are similar to the current buildings in Teekkari Village. Areas between the blocks are forested as typical of the environment in Otaniemi and Teekkari Village. The continuum of park areas from Alvarin aukio square to the Ossinlampi area remains intact, and the construction will not bring much change to the nature of the valuable landscapes surrounding Alvarin aukio square. The routes of the flying squirrel have also been taken into account in the planning process and a strip of forest securing the route of the squirrel will be left at the southern end of the plot near the TF building.
In addition to housing and communal facilities, a space is reserved for a grocery store located between the junctions of Servin Maijan tie and Jämeräntaival. The landscape market located in the vicinity of the roundabout connecting Jämeräntaival and Otakaari, and the unobstructed access from the square towards Ossinlampi with its functions, offer new recreational opportunities and meeting places for the residents of the whole Teekkari Village.
“The housing shortage in the metropolitan area is particularly afflicting low-income students and the Otakaari housing project is a major step to improve the regional housing situation. The construction of student housing is part of AYY's long-term work to safeguard our members' livelihoods in the future. The Otakaari roadside is one of the most central places in Otaniemi and these apartments connect Teekkari Village to the rest of Otaniemi. It is great to have student housing in a place it deserves,” says Sampo Sainio, board member responsible for housing.
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Good news for residents in shared apartments: Here’s how you can receive your own housing allowance while living in a friends’ apartment!
A joint liability rental agreement may affect the housing allowance, as Kela typically grants only one housing allowance for a shared household, which is influenced by the income of both residents. However, residents in friends’ apartments may receive separate housing allowances if Kela reviews them as separate households. This requires tenants with a joint liability rental agreement to draft a mutual possession agreement for the apartment and submit it as an appendix with their housing allowance application to Kela. Tenants draft the possession agreement by themselves.