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Solie’s 1.6 million SEK in the bank was worth nothing when she applied for a rental apartment.
His low pension was the only thing that counted, which was a shock.
– I’m really angry that it should be like this, says the 72-year-old.
For twelve years, Solie from Stockholm has been queuing to get a rental. When she sold her condo in November because it felt too big, the 72-year-old took it for granted that she would get an apartment. But it wasn’t that simple.
– I stood in line for the house to eventually move into a lease so I could give my life a golden edge, but suddenly my money is invalid, she says.
Instead, he had to move in with his daughter. Solie has been living there for ten months.
Savings capital was not accounted for
To be approved as a tenant by public service in Stockholm, you must have SEK 5,002 remaining each month since the rent was paid. And it is the companies themselves that decide which rules apply.
Solie, who has a pension of SEK 11,000 every month, can only choose from a limited number of apartments, even though she has 1.6 million in the bank. Almost everything counts as valid income, but not as savings capital.
Solie also has a medical certificate stating that she has a hip problem and that she needs to live in a house with an elevator. Ideally, the 72-year-old wants to live in a second, smaller house to make room for his special bed.
– I think it is discrimination against older women with low pensions who save, that money is worth nothing. That you cannot balance your pension with your bank savings.
Since Solie began looking for housing, it has been on display for an apartment in a senior housing unit. But the rent was 9,000 crowns, so he did not receive it.
Photo: Robin Lorentz-Allard
“Suddenly my money is invalid,” says Solie, 72.
I couldn’t buy a house
With her pension low, Solie also found it difficult to obtain a new bank loan and buy an apartment. Nor is she entitled to the housing supplement because she is a millionaire.
When Solie, a few months ago, came back to finish first in the queue for a lease through Familjebostäder, a second, he felt it was worth fighting for.
– I thought that if this did not happen, I would go out to demonstrate.
Familjebostäder writes in an email to Aftonbladet that the company does not approve the tenants’ savings capital because, over time, it is not seen as a basis for a secure payment of rent.
“We approve income from capital, for example, interest can be booked. But the real equity in the savings account does not count as income. The difference with other assets, such as salary, is that it can be used for something else (buying a car, donating or investing) and therefore it is not a guarantee over time in the same way as a salary or other monthly income, “writes communications manager Lott Jansson.
I had to take out insurance
Solie’s only solution to obtaining a lease was to “cheat the system” and purchase one-year endowment insurance. You deposited SEK 100,000 to receive a monthly payment of SEK 1,940 and thus a higher income.
In total, the 72-year-old woman has submitted 20 documents on everything from what she receives in retirement to the fact that the colonia house she owns is not a house where she can live permanently.
How have you felt during this time?
– Of course I’ve been feeling stressed. I never thought that I would have to move in with my daughter. I don’t feel like living in a duffel bag. I want stability.
When Aftonbladet meets Solie at her neighborhood cabin on a rainy day in late October, she has finally received a message of joy.
– I got the apartment, but it was with difficulty. It feels absolutely fantastic, she says.
Kolonistugan a refuge
While she waits for a rental, the colony cabin has become a refuge for Solie when she has had to leave her daughter’s apartment.
He bought the little house several years ago and leases the land. There is no bathroom here and during the winter the water is cut off.
– The colony cabin means everything to me. I have been able to go here to be a bit for myself. But not everyone has that opportunity, he says.
Have you ever felt like you can’t take it anymore?
– No, I do not have. I didn’t just do this by myself. I know there are many who are in the same seat. But I think sadly many had given up and, in the worst case, made homeless, says Solie.
Photo: Robin Lorentz-Allard
The struggle for own tenure has taken hold. Solie, 72, has felt both stress and anger. But give it up, she doesn’t think so.
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