Everything started with an online discussion for residents late last year.

“Lumo invited residents to discuss resident activities and to share their opinions. We had an online group interview open for a couple of days on the Howspace discussion platform, allowing the residents to share their feelings and ideas about how resident activities could be improved so that they are a better match with the needs of Lumo residents,” explains Lumo Account Manager Riikka Ilmakunnas.

The discussion yielded a nice crop of ideas. On the basis of the discussion, some of the most active participants were offered a chance to become members of the Lumo resident panel.

“This is how we gathered a group of 20 active residents who have a genuine drive to participate in housing development.”

The members of the Lumo resident panel come from all around Finland, from all locations where Lumo homes can be found.

“Moreover, the resident panel members represent a nice variety of people: there are young and older people, people enjoying living in the city centre and people who enjoy the peace and quiet a bit further away from the centre. We get to hear a wide variety of residents’ voices,” Ilmakunnas says, delighted.

At its first meeting in March, the Lumo resident panel members got to know each other and planned the panel’s future activities. In the next meeting in June, they went through the responsibility survey conducted among residents and reviewed its results.

Meetings have been held in Teams, partly because the members live around the country, partly because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Lumo resident panel finds responsibility very important. In part, it also entails safety. The panel discussed many different safety-related matters and one highlighted aspect was knowing your neighbours. Living is safe when you know the people around you. That is why the next topic will be the development of community spirit in Lumo buildings,” Ilmakunnas says.

And the Lumo resident panel certainly does not hold meetings for no reason: the meetings have already yielded many good, feasible ideas related to sorting instructions in waste disposal rooms for instance. Later this year, the Lumo resident panel will meet to find new ideas for housing services.

All in all, Ilmakunnas is very delighted about the active and enthusiastic Lumo resident panel.

“It’s great that people want to participate and use their free time to develop housing.”