To monitor its sustainability efforts, Skövdebostäder conducted a survey of a sample of its tenants. Nearly 400 people responded to the survey. Among them, about 70 percent are interested in being able to borrow items such as tools and bicycles instead of owning their own.
– We see that our initiatives are in line with what our tenants want, which is good. For example, we’ve built what we call bike service stations in several of our neighborhoods. There, tenants can borrow tools to maintain their bikes. We’ve also recently set up a bike-sharing program for student tenants at Kurorten,” says Thomas Olsson, Head of Procurement and Sustainability at Skövdebostäder.
Delivery boxes and car-sharing programs
What tenants are most interested in are package delivery boxes in their neighborhoods—about 80 percent of tenants want them. There is also interest in car-sharing programs, although it is not as strong. 18 percent would get rid of their car if a car-sharing program were available.
– The survey shows that cars are the most commonly used mode of transportation in everyday life. Even though by no means everyone would use a car-sharing service, it obviously makes a difference for the environment if some people can sell their cars. We currently have an electric car pool for tenants at Frostaliden Aspö Eko-logi. “We’re currently participating in a project where we’re exploring the possibility of renting out our company cars in the evenings and on weekends. We’re also looking into car-sharing services where tenants can rent cars from one another,” says Thomas Olsson, Head of Procurement and Sustainability at Skövdebostäder.
50,000 tenants: A comparison across Sweden
The survey was conducted by both private and municipal housing companies in Sweden, and a total of over 50,000 people responded. Skövdebostäder’s sustainability efforts received high marks from its own tenants in the survey. To facilitate comparison, a so-called sustainability index is calculated. The company received a sustainability index of 88.6 percent for environmental performance, placing it among the top performers in the survey. The survey also shows that Skövdebostäder’s tenants are highly engaged in environmental issues—the highest level of engagement among all participating companies.
– This is a welcome result. We will now continue to analyze the responses and see how we can become an even more sustainable landlord for our tenants going forward. For example, some tenants are asking for better storage for their bicycles. Many also want to be able to drop off textiles for reuse or recycling in the area, something that isn’t possible today,” says Thomas Olsson, Head of Procurement and Sustainability at Skövdebostäder.
