From left: Maritha Nordström, Riksbyggen; Anna Ersson, Skebo; Catarina Holmer, Sveafastigheter.
Just three months ago, Norran reported on the city's severe housing shortage, highlighting foreign Northvolt employees struggling with long waiting times for Swedish housing companies and residents making sacrifices to secure first-hand contracts.
Since then, the situation has shifted dramatically. Following layoffs at Northvolt, the number of vacant apartments has grown, with the most noticeable impact seen in newly developed areas on the outskirts of the city.
The most affected area is Birkarlen, which is located by Brännsvidberget in northern Kåge. There are 188 apartments and a full 59 of them are now vacant.
– When we advertised vacant apartments there, we had zero applicants, says Maritha Nordström at Riksbyggen, which manages the homes. The owner company is called Arkadia Bostad.
So no one will move in at the moment.
–There has been a big change; it is noticeable that people are leaving Skellefteå now, she says.
Riksbyggen also manages for other companies and there are six vacant apartments on Foxgatan, Falkträsket.
In total, Riksbyggen currently manages 65 vacancies, although not all of them are on the website yet.
There are 31 apartments available for rent at Brännsvidberget in Kåge. They are owned by Arkadia Bostad and managed by Riksbyggen.
Sveafastigheter, a subsidiary of Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget (SBB), currently has 40 vacant apartments across Skellefteå, including 25 in their new Myrängen building in Skelleftehamn.
Catarina Holmer of Sveafastigheter, says there have been ancellations, particularly from people who lost jobs at Northvolt. While there’s interest in many of the units, contracts have yet to be signed, and some potential tenants may not move in until later.
Other available units can be found in Kåge, Morö Backe, Degerbyn, and Sjungande Dalen.
Skebo made a major investment in Bureå by building these apartments. They were fully occupied last summer, but six are now vacant.
Skebo has also seen more cancellations.
Before the Northvolt crisis, they advertised 10-15 available apartments weekly, but recently, they have been offering about 25. This week, they are listing a total of 35.
–There are extra people because it's the end of the month, says marketing manager Anna Ersson.
The vacancies are spread across various areas, with most in new builds in Burträsk, Bureå, Kåge, and Byske.
Ersson notes that the cancellations started increasing about a month ago. Skebo advertises their apartments for one week, followed by distribution based on purchase points. While she can’t say if any homes remain without applicants, she does confirm that it's now easier for residents to find housing.
Apartments in central Skellefteå are usually quickly filled, even those with higher rents. Any vacancies that remain are likely in the new developments on the outskirts.
Skebo's new apartments at Getberget were fully occupied, but now four are available.
One company that has fared well so far is Heimstaden, which currently only has four vacant apartments.
A smaller company with vacancies is Norrböle Fastigheter; according to the website they have 11 vacant apartments.