The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA)

The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland is a governmental agency of the Republic of Finland operating under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment. ARA is an agency to implement social housing policy. ARA's main task is to finance state-subsidised rental housing production. The Centre has also other obligations such as to make grants for housing repairs and to supervise the granting of state guarantees on loans for owner-occupied housing.

The Centre's target is to promote well-planned quality housing at reasonable housing cost, to promote housing development and to produce information concerning housing market. Properties to be constructed must be located at comfortable and safe areas in municipalities with housing demand.

ARA has a Board of Directors appointed by the Council of State for a period of four years. ARA's operations are managed by a Director General and ARA has a staff of 70.