The Student Union of the University of Helsinki is selling its city centre properties to Keva

In its meeting on 12 November 2025, HYY’s Representative Council decided to sell the New Student House, the Old Student House, Citytalo and Kaivotalo as well as Kaivokatu 12 and Hansatalo, which are part of the Grand Hansa property complex, to Finnish pensions institution Keva. The decision helps resolve the extremely challenging debt situation of HYY’s property finances and ensure the future of the Student Union’s operations.

Once all the arrangements have been concluded, the Student Union will be free of debt. The restaurant business operating under Ylva Services Ltd and the third student house, Domus Gaudium, which will also move under the management of Ylva Services Ltd, will remain under HYY’s ownership.

‘The decisions made now have been far from easy. The most important thing for us is having been able to ensure the Student Union’s diverse student life and organisational activities’, Chair of the Student Union’s Board Petra Pulli remarks.

The properties will remain under Finnish ownership. Keva is known as one of the most financially stable and responsible institutional investors in Finland.

‘Parting with the New Student House and Old Student House is a historic and difficult decision, and feeling sad about it is perfectly fine. However, the decision ensures that we will continue to be able to use all our income from membership fees solely on student activities and that we finally have prospects for the future. HYY’s operations may change, as they have many times during its history, but the Student Union itself will remain’, HYY’s Secretary General Paula Karhunen states.

HYY will move all its operations from the New Student House to Domus Gaudium in Leppäsuo during 2026. There will be a transition period of around half a year for organisations and the overall changes in premises. HYY’s website has further information on the upcoming changes for our organisations and members.

‘This solution is the best one possible in our difficult situation. Selling individual properties would not have been enough. We needed an overall solution that puts a stop to the spiral of debt and provides the Student Union with a future. The alternative was bankruptcy, which would have meant losing absolutely everything. This way, HYY retains a functional body of assets’, Ylva’s CEO Mika Perkiö explains.

The final date of exchange will be confirmed later. The selling price will not be made public.

Further information

Paula Karhunen
Secretary General
Student Union of the University of Helsinki
+358 40 081 6426
paula.karhunen@hyy.fi

Mika Perkiö
CEO
Ylva
+358 50 320 2293
mika.perkio@ylva.fi