Inside some of the houses, mold and moisture have taken their toll on the walls and ceilings. Other villas appear completely undamaged.
In the first demolition phase, around 70 small villas in Skogsbyn, built in the 60s and culturally marked, will be demolished. In the next phase, probably about 35 more houses. That’s what Tomas Krywult, CEO of Stora Sköndal framtidsutveckling AB, which is the company that owns the land, tells us.
The company is in turn controlled by Stiftelsen Stora Sköndal.
In order to raise money, it was decided in 2015 to sell and have new apartment buildings built in the area, on the condition that the villas be demolished. Those that were once built as pleasant homes for seniors, but in recent years have been populated by, among other things, families with children on demolition contracts.
Family of four must move from the city of Stockholm
Suleyman Alali from Syria, came here when he was three years old, and lives with his family in one of the demolition contracts. He is now in primary school. He loves playing in the snow and climbing “mountains” with his friends in the area.
– It is very difficult to let go of this area, says his older brother Muhammed.
Now the family has to leave their friends and change schools for the children, because within Stockholm municipality they have not been able to get a new lease. A newly built third house in Handen awaits – and with it the family’s rent rises from SEK 10,800 to SEK 16,300 a month.
– I work all the time, my wife studies. SEK 16,000 is a lot of money for us, says father Abdo Alali.
Continued housing deficit in Stockholm
The approx. 5,000 new condominiums and tenements in the old Skogsbyn should be ready by around 2035-40. Which may be much needed for Greater Stockholm, which still has a housing deficit, according to the Housing Authority’s figures.
The project in Skogsbyn is being carried out in various detailed planning stages and is now awaiting a decision in the City Planning Committee in the City of Stockholm.