A parish for life
Many seniors want to move to smaller homes in their hometown. But there is a lack of attractive and functional housing for the elderly to move to. This is what Hela Sverige ska Leva Gotland aims to address with the project ”A parish for a lifetime.”.
About the project
More and more seniors are staying at home longer – not least in Gotland's rural areas. But many of them would like to move to smaller homes in their hometowns. The challenge is that there is a lack of attractive and functional homes for seniors to move into. This in turn causes a lock-in effect in the housing market that makes it difficult for younger people and families with children to find housing in the parishes around the island.
Hela Sverige Leva Gotland now wants to remedy this situation with the project "A parish for a lifetime" with support from Leader Gute.
Participants parishes in the project are Bäl, Näs, Etelhem, Stenkyrka, and Burgsvik.
The project includes four steps to be implemented in the five parishes:
- Needs analysis – through surveys, map the needs and attitudes of older people towards living in rural areas.
- Organizational form analysis – identify appropriate structures for local ownership and management.
- Financing analysis – investigate models for local, cooperative or external financing.
- Model development – develop a concrete model for housing for the elderly, which can be used and adapted by other parishes.
The text published/updated 2026-06-01
2023–2027
Project owner
All of Sweden shall live
Project Manager
Gisela Wood
Email address: gisela@globalcapitalfamily.com
Homepage
https://www.helasverige.se/gotland/
”A parish for a lifetime”
(journal no. 2025-4084)
Leader Gute's board decided to prioritize the application for project support on November 27, 2025.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture granted the application for project support on 2026-05-28.
The purpose of the project:
To together with and at the initiative of five Gotland parishes, develop sustainable and locally anchored solutions for housing for the elderly in rural areas. The project aims to contribute to creating a ”Parish for a lifetime,” where the elderly can stay, younger people can move in, and local communities are strengthened socially, economically, and practically.
Project goals:
Ato conduct 12 project group meetings, 4 reference group meetings, 15 dialogue meetings in the parishes, to make a study trip, and to compile a report/implementation plan with conclusions, models, and proposals for the implementation of various housing initiatives in rural areas.
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Granted amount:
468,557 kronor
Total financing
468,557 kronor
Rural Development Fund
