Relief for citizens in everyday activities with grants from the state and municipality

Repair and accessibility subsidies granted by the state and municipalities have a continuous application period. Grants can be applied for throughout the year. 

With grants related to construction citizens in various life situations are helped. The elderly are helped with home renovations so that they can live in their own home for as long as possible. People with disabilities are helped to remove barriers to facilitate everyday activities. Families with children, the elderly, the disabled and other residents of the apartment building are assisted in the construction of elevators to enable barrier-free access.

The amount of the subsidy is a maximum of 50% of the repair costs. In an exceptional case, the grant amount can be 70%. Exceptions are, for example, a veteran who is a member of the applicant's diet or a veteran's widow, or if the apartment cannot carry out necessary care without repairs.

When the grant is granted, the applicant's income and wealth are taken into account. Veterans have increased income limits.

Assisted measures can be, for example, building washing facilities on the residential floor, improving accessibility and repairing the water roof if its condition affects the possibility of living in the building.

With elevator and accessibility allowances facilitate the movement of all citizens in the residential environment. The goal is to help the elderly live in their own home for as long as possible. This year, the scope of the accessibility grant also includes an addition up or down to the building association's common spaces in connection with the renewal of the elevator. In addition, simply changing the doors to automatic doors is a measure that can be assisted.  

The grant percentage is 45% this year. The subsidy percentage is not expected to remain at this level, so housing associations should not rush construction decisions.

At the beginning of 2017, ARA (= Housing Finance and Development Center) took over the processing of the grants it granted.

Imatra's city government has also granted an allocation of 40 euros to be distributed as elevator and accessibility grants to housing associations. The amount of the subsidy per lift is 000 euros.

The part of this amount that remains unused from the elevator subsidies is distributed as an accessibility subsidy. The grant percentage of the accessibility grant is a maximum of 30% of the total costs.

- For this year, two elevators have been realized so far. It's worth applying for grants now, because it seems like there is still a lot to distribute this year, says the renovation construction engineer responsible for grants Pertti Purovaara from the city of Imatra.

What help

You can get free help for applying for ARA grants and planning measures from the Finnish Federation of Elderly Work. Pekka Hulkkonen, from Lappeenranta, works as a repair advisor for the Central Federation of Elderly Work in the South Karelia and Kymenlaakso region, phone 050 593 1277.

In Imatra, renovation engineer Pertti Purovaara tel. 020 617 4703 gives advice, in Rautjärvi building inspector Pasi Kautto tel. 040 029 9281 and service secretary Satu Kojo tel. 040 181 4008, in Ruokolahti housing service manager Sari Myyryläinen tel. 044 4491 210

Citizens also have the right to home modifications in accordance with the Disability Services Act. You can apply for compensation from Eksote for renovation work in my apartment if a person has special difficulties moving or working in your permanent apartment due to an injury or illness. Eksote compensates for the necessary and reasonable costs of alteration work required by the disability in your apartment and in its immediate vicinity (e.g. widening of doors, construction of ramps). Eksote can also compensate for the reasonable acquisition costs of tools and equipment belonging to the apartment. 

Iso Apu service centers advise customers on applications and other issues.

More information: repair construction engineer Pertti Purovaara, tel. 020 617 4703

www.ara.fi/korjausavustukets