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Alexander Grønlien of Konseptpluss is keen to collaborate with Cathrine Gundersen, Head of the Department for Health and Mastery in Lillestrøm municipality, and project managers Rune Nilsen and Lin Zhou in Rælingen municipality.
Municipalities need housing. Contractors need work. And the Norwegian State Housing Bank (Husbanken) offers excellent grant schemes for the construction of care housing.
This "triple win" was the starting point for Kunnskapsbyen bringing together property developers and municipalities to establish a partnership that can realize more care housing projects.
There has been significant interest in this concept since the Norwegian State Housing Bank attended a similar meeting in August, where they presented the favorable grants available for building care housing.
Proven track record
Managing Director Alexander Grønlien of Konseptpluss described how the company, with the help of grants from the Norwegian State Housing Bank, has successfully realized care housing developments in collaboration with municipalities in other parts of the country.
He admitted that the process of realizing projects through the Norwegian State Housing Bank requires close cooperation and effective coordination with the municipality. Although it can be somewhat complex and demanding, the end result is absolutely worth it, Grønlien pointed out.
For the municipality, the benefit is clear: care housing can be built without straining the municipal budget. In addition, residents are guaranteed an affordable entry point into the housing market.
A window of opportunity now
Lillestrøm has an unmet need for 100 care housing units, and this need will only grow in the coming years.
Both Lillestrøm and Rælingen municipalities were eager for advice on the best approach to creating development projects that qualify for Norwegian State Housing Bank grants. They received an open invitation to collaborate from both Konseptpluss and Linstow, both of which have completed similar projects.
Property developers are also keen to participate. They pointed out that the decline in construction activity has provided municipalities with a rare window of opportunity to secure exceptionally favorable development agreements.
The municipalities are seizing the moment. In a few years, this opportunity may be gone, so it is crucial to accelerate the process if they are to succeed in building affordable care housing in time.
