Lumo homes have responsible people living in them. This was revealed by the responsibility survey conducted among the residents in May–June 2020. More than 70 per cent of the respondents find environmental and responsibility issues important or very important.

“On the basis of the survey, environmental friendliness is a significant selection criterion when people are looking for a new home. Three out of four Lumo residents reported environmental friendliness, such as comprehensive waste sorting possibilities, as one factor influencing their choice of home,” says Hannamari Koivula.

The responsibility survey was taken by 2,684 Lumo residents, which Koivula considers a very good figure.

“It’s great that Lumo homes have so active residents who are interested in responsibility issues!”

Hannamari Koivula started working in the position of Manager, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability for Lumo homes in March. She is in charge of developing responsibility issues at the Group level. At the moment, Koivula’s duties include, among other things, the compilation of a responsibility programme by the end of the year as well as reporting on responsibility. The Lumo resident survey and its analysis is part of this work.

“It is extremely important to listen to the residents’ voice. They are the best experts when it comes to the development of responsible housing. In addition to the survey, we established a Lumo resident panel, which then discussed the same topics in a smaller group.”

Koivula points out that responsibility efforts have been carried out in Lumo homes for a long time already. She lists a few examples:

“Lumo buildings use carbon-neutral electricity and 90 per cent of them are also connected to a remote monitoring system for energy and water consumption. The buildings use the AI-driven Leanheat system, which automatically adjusts heating on the basis of the actual apartment temperature and the weather forecast, yielding approximately 10 per cent savings in heating energy. And of course, all Lumo buildings have as good waste sorting possibilities as can be arranged in the property in question. For instance, plastic sorting points have been introduced in the buildings that have a suitable place for it.”

In the responsibility programme, these and other responsibility-related actions in Lumo homes are compiled and new targets are set, to define the direction for the future progress in responsibility-related aspects.

“Responsibility begins with the selection of the property’s location and the design of the building and ends with demolition at the end of the building’s life cycle. In between, there are many decisions and choices that are related to construction, living, repairs and renovation and influence responsibility,” Koivula points out.

When Lumo residents were asked about housing-related responsibility aspects, what stood out clearly was the need to ensure the cleanliness, safety and comfort of residential areas. More than 90 per cent of the respondents find these important or very important factors in housing.

The same themes emerged in the Lumo resident panel, too. One of the solutions proposed was to increase communications about waste disposal room usage and waste sorting in more languages.

“This is a good idea, which will certainly be included in the proposed actions of the future responsibility programme. We are now looking for both comprehensive guidelines and concrete improvement ideas, even small ones,” says Koivula.

The next highest priority among Lumo residents was the possibility to adjust heating and cooling within the apartment. This was important or very important for more than 80 per cent of the respondents.

Lumo residents also enjoy nature and greenness. Four out of five residents consider the development of urban nature and green areas an important or very important factor in housing.

“The significance of nature and green areas has probably increased during this exceptional spring and summer,” Koivula estimates.

When the theme changed from housing-related responsibility to aspects related to environmental and social responsibility, matters related to waste sorting and recycling were again highlighted in the survey.

Comprehensive recycling possibilities both in the waste disposal rooms of Lumo buildings and in the residential area in general are considered important, as is the improvement of waste sorting possibilities in the apartment itself. Four out of five respondents find these important or very important.

The optimisation and improvement of the buildings’ energy efficiency was considered important by three out of four residents.

Safety, comfort, cleanliness and environmental issues came up in many parts of the Lumo resident responsibility survey, from many different perspectives.

“Other highlighted aspects were the importance of communications and especially the use of many different communications channels to ensure that all residents are reached. Another thing related to communications is communicating in different languages, as mentioned above,” Koivula says, summarising the findings.

Lumo residents have also welcomed the vehicle sharing system, both cars and electric bikes, warmly.

“People hope there would be more of these available.”

For the responsibility programme, not only residents but also other parties that are important to Lumo homes have been heard. According to Hannamari Koivula, there have been dedicated responsibility surveys for Lumo home stakeholders, cooperation partners and also Lumo personnel.

“Now we have a wide range of opinions and insights as well as good experiences of the earlier long-term responsibility efforts of Lumo homes. All of this will be compiled into a responsibility programme with targets and actions. We want the residents to know that living in a Lumo home is responsible and environmentally friendly and we want to communicate openly what has been done – and will be done in the future – to promote this.”

Koivula points out that there are many levels in responsibility efforts: there are things that lessors, builders, maintenance companies and other housing professionals can do but also many things that residents themselves can do at home.

Her own five-person family consists of the parents, one child in kindergarten and two children in the lower grades of the comprehensive school.

“We teach our children recycling and sorting, pay attention to excessive use of water and other responsibility-related matters, just like probably most families with children. More or less successfully. However, what is the most important thing is to keep these things in mind on both a large and a small scale, be it building design, construction, water consumption or recycling of household waste.”