The Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland, Ara, has major responsibility for the implementation of Finnish housing policy. Ara belongs to the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Environment.
Ara grants subsidies, grants and guarantees for housing and construction and controls and supervises the use of the Ara housing stock. In addition, Ara participates in projects related to the development of housing and expertise in the housing market, and produces information services for the industry.
Ara is an expert partner, developer and moderniser of housing and promotes ecologically sustainable, high-quality and reasonably priced housing. Ara's operating principle is: everyone is entitled to comfortable housing.
Ara's tasks
- Ara develops sustainable, high-quality and reasonably priced housing.
- Ara supports the improvement of the housing conditions of people with low or average incomes and special-needs groups.
- Ara monitors and directs non-profit housing corporations to ensure the sound management of finances and the allocation of government subsidies to residents.
- Ara develops the existing building stock and living environments to meet the challenges of the times in question.
- Ara directs and monitors the use of Ara's stock of buildings and manages the risks related to their loans together with the State Treasury.
- Ara promotes, utilises and disseminates the results of research and development activities related to housing conditions.
- Ara collects, analyses and disseminates information on the housing market and maintains online and information services for the industry.