The municipality of Boden has a well-established model that integrates three rural nodes into the ongoing societal transition. Recently, one of them, RÅEK, was named Development Group of the Year in Sweden. RÅEK has now set up a real estate company to enable more people to move in.
RÅEK runs one of the municipality’s three rural service points and is the hub in its part of the municipality of Boden for a variety of development projects and missions. Recently, the association celebrated its 25th anniversary as the first development group of its kind in the municipality, later followed by EDEK in Edeforsbygden and UNEK in Unbyn-Avan. Today, all three nodes have service points and local business developers for rural areas. They act as an extension of citizen services into the villages.
Real estate company and school bus
Housing is currently high on the agenda throughout Boden municipality. At the same time as a sharp increase in population is predicted in Boden, there are a large number of unused properties around the municipality, especially in rural areas. In a joint project across the municipal border with Luleå, 550 unoccupied houses were identified in Gunnarsbyn and the surrounding area. With these as a basis, a creative national team from Visions in the North has, in a further step, developed a proposal for a housing concept with a number of properties in Gunnarsbyn as a model. The possibility exists to apply this to the entire municipality and also other places in Sweden in the future.
To be able to meet a continuation of this, and also to enable new construction in the village, RÅEK has recently formed a real estate company.
“Our main task is to be able to buy properties and convert them into housing,” says Johan Ekström, Chairman of RÅEK Fastighetsbolag AB.
The goal is to create 30 new homes in the area by 2030 of various types, rental apartments, new construction, condominiums and that the vacant properties have been revitalized.
“With the launch of the real estate company, this step opens up opportunities to create a stable foundation for future investments and development. By gathering our resources and competencies in a strong organization, we can take on the next phase. The future looks bright and we are ready to take the next step in creating housing that really makes a difference,” says Jenny Engström, director of RÅEK and one of the municipality’s three rural business developers.
Another example to help increase in-migration is RÅEK’s STL minibus (smart transport solutions), which, among other things, allows more children to get to the local municipal school, even from the neighboring municipality.
Best in Sweden
The natural role of the countryside as a significant force in the municipality of Boden is clear, not least at the regular and well-attended business breakfasts in the countryside. They alternate each month between Sörbyn in the Råne river valley, Edeforsbygden in the Lule river valley and Unbyn-Avan. At the business breakfasts, information and networking are shared between the villages, the municipality, organizations and the local business community.
In connection with the latest breakfast in the Råne river valley, there was a little extra celebration as RÅEK has been named Development Group of the Year in Sweden. The award was handed out by the Swedish Council for Popular Movements, Hela Sverige ska leva, which announced the winner on Wednesday.
Justification:
“Since 1999, Råne Älvdal Economic Association (RÅEK) has defied all preconceptions about where development takes place. And how development happens. With unique breadth, unparalleled perseverance and creative solutions, they run everything from recycling centers to housing development – and show how the entire river valley can flourish.”
Jenny Engström, Executive Director, and Ingrid Stridfeldt, Chairman, of RÅEK, received the award from Hela Sverige ska leva in Stockholm on November 20. Photo: Klas Fritzson , Hela Sverige ska leva.
“This feels absolutely fantastic! We have been working for so many years and are such a small village. I am so impressed by everyone who enables and drives development and believes in the countryside. I’m also very happy that we have a municipality that gives us the opportunity to work with development, not just survival,” says Jenny Engström.
Earlier this year, Hela Sverige ska leva also named Boden the rural municipality of the year in Norrbotten.
“It is a tremendous recognition that RÅEK has been recognized as the best in the country. Our joint work to develop our entire fine municipality is now done with the knowledge that Sweden’s best development group is involved and leads that work”, says Claes Nordmark, municipal councilor Boden.
