IKEA Iceland to build apartments for staff
This is how the building will look like. Photo: IKEA
IKEA in Iceland is building a house with 36 apartments, meant for their staff. Perhaps for students as well, or staff at Costco (which will open in the same area as IKEA this summer), according to Þórarinn Ævarsson, CEO of IKEA in Iceland. The aim is to guarantee safe housing for the staff at a reasonable price.
There has been much debate in Iceland about the housing problem in Reykjavik. Real estate prices have skyrocketed over the last few years and so has rent.
According to Ævarsson, it’s an employers concern that his staff have a roof over their heads. A company relys on qualified staff and a company that employs the most qualified staff will come out on top.
The house IKEA is building will rise close to the only IKEA store in Iceland, in Garðabær, the greater capital area. It is expected to be ready by the end of next year.
A real estate company connected to IKEA will own the house. It is not yet clear how much it will cost exactly, but the estimated rent for the smallest apartments, fully furnished, will be under 100.000 ISK, “That’s a lot less than people pay for a dump here and there in town,” says Ævarsson.
