The story of our homes is part of the story of the international Settlement Movement. The settlement movement was born in England in the late 19th century, when university students were faced with the facts that slum, misery, and exclusion came with industrialization. They set up civic centers, Settlements in London’s poor neighborhoods to provide training and support for those struggling with social problems.
The first settlement, Toynbee Hall, was established in 1884 and is still located in the East End of London.
The starting point of the work was trust in the own ability of people and communities to solve problems. The same premise still applies to our operations.
The International Association of Settlements was founded in 1926. It has 10,000 members. The first London-style settlement house, Kalliola, was founded in Kallio, Helsinki, in 1919. Today, the Office of Setlementtiasunnot is also located in the Kalliola Settlement House.
During its 100-year history, the settlement movement has become one of the most important national actors in cultural and social work in our country. The Settlement Movement in Finland is formed by the Finnish Settlement Association founded in 1918 and its local member associations.
The Settlement Association founded Setlementtiasunnot Oy in 2000 to implement housing production based on communality and equality. The first house was completed in Malmi and now homes are already offered in 21 houses, mainly in the Helsinki metropolitan area, but also in Tampere, Turku and Joensuu. Our goal is to continue to provide new types of communal and ecological homes, houses and neighborhoods where people can live together.
