Students strongly involved with the development of AYY’s housing services

How could student living be made even better? Aalto University Student Union involves its members in developing even more successful housing services.

The rental of reasonably price student apartments is one of the most essential member services of AYY.

Besides the reasonable price, AYY’s real estate strategy defines other goals for its operations, one of which is the development of communal living and increasing its popularity. It’s an important topic, for even though construction will increase the share of studio apartments in AYY’s apartment portfolio, about one third of the apartments are still shared apartments.

This year, AYY has invested and continues to invest in the development of its housing services in many ways. There have been several small and even bigger updates to our search system Domo during the year, and the development work continues. In spring 2018, AYY became a member of the Finnish Association of Student Housing Organisations, or SOA, and cooperation with other student housing communities has been increased.

Plenty of work is also being done in collaboration with the Student Union’s members. In summer 2018, AYY joined forces with Aalto University in the form of the Information Technology Program course. As part of the course, a group of students surveyed the current situation of AYY’s housing services by interviewing residents and employees, for example.

In addition, the group researched other operators’ housing services, came up with new service ideas and thought of ways to highlight the benefits offered by communal living.

During the project, two significant issues in need of development came up: communication about the alternatives of communal living already at the application stage, and supporting the occupants in making the apartments’ communal spaces comfortable and more home-like.

Later this year, AYY will organise an even wider survey of its members’ experiences and wishes. The member questionnaire will be sent out in the autumn and will focus on housing and member services. Here in the Student Union’s housing team, we’re already excited to hear the results and ideas coming to us via the questionnaire. We’ll definitely put them to good use when planning next year’s operations.

AYY houses several small and bigger communities whose occupants are comfortable in their apartments, and the spaces look like their occupants. We at the Student Union will continue to work towards producing even more happy communities in the future.

Riitu Nuutinen
AYY Service Manager