The number of students in Lahti is growing more than predicted – also increasing pressure on housing construction
LUT University continues its rapid growth in Lahti. This also means an increasing need for student accommodation.
The number of higher education students in Lahti is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. The city estimates that by the end of the decade, Lahti may have up to 10 000 higher education students at LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences.
This would mean doubling the number of students. At the same time, the demand for student housing will increase.
LUT currently has around 2 000 students in Lahti.
– Of course, when the growth is like this, there will be some shortage at some point. But at the moment, the Lahti houses have done their job well.
Careful consideration of construction
Germany, Rector of the LUT University, considers the implementation of the student forecast to be very possible. The training offering is constantly growing, most recently about the expansion of the School of Economics as early as next fall.
But what happens if the forecasts come true and the number of university students on the Mukkula campus will double to over 10,000 students by 2030? Karppinen, CEO of Lahti Houses, says that there will be enough homes and there will be no shortage in a long time. Karppinen points out that a large number of students travel to Lahti, for example, from the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The Lahti Houses are currently building two apartment buildings, which will have one hundred apartments for students. Karppinen points out that existing homes can also be easily converted to fit student use. New construction will be launched if necessary.
– It is certainly not wise to start building a new one in too big. Of course, it must be taken into account that construction projects always last for several years, Karppinen emphasizes.
Rector Germany is not concerned about the housing situation.
– It’s a positive problem that can certainly be solved. Usually, in my opinion, the housing situation in a Finnish city is a bit different, Germany says.
Karppinen of Lahti Houses says that there is currently a slight oversupply in Lahti in Lahti, but the situation may change within a few years.
– The shortage may be too strongly said, but demand and supply is very different in a couple of years.
Are the walls of the classrooms enough?
Germany says that the premises are sufficient for the current number of students. More space is currently being taken for business schools and a variety of solutions have been found.
The number of students in Lahti has increased much faster than we could understand.
– Or even vision. When we had a regional unit in Lahti, we had 30 employees and 40 students, Germany says.
– When negotiated with the city, it was thought that in 2027 we might have ten professors and 240 students. Now there are almost 2,000 students, over 300 staff, and things are growing all the time. Some mysterious, good thread here is on and just put on more speed.
In the autumn of 2026, 50-75 start-ups for the start of the digital business at the start of the LUT University and 60 start-up places for a subsequent Master’s degree.
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