2009

Corporate Social Responsibility Report

1
 Contents

What is CSR? 3
Facts about Stångåstaden 4
Editorial by the Managing Director 5
Social responsibility 6
Environmental responsibility 8
Economic sustainability 2
Working with other interested parties 14
Good working environment 16
Indicators 18
Definitions 22
What is Eurhonet?
European Housing Network, Eurhonet, is a network of almost 30 public
housing companies from England, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden.
Within Eurhonet, there is a strong will to work towards a sustainable
society where the impact on our shared environment is minimised
through awareness and the implementation of active measures.
What is CSR?
The social responsibility of the companies - or CSR - is extensive.
Corporate Social Responsibility, for which the abbreviation CSR stands,
is basically about taking responsibility, not only for the impacts the
company has on society which are positive, but also for those which are
negative. It is about how we voluntarily integrate social and environmental
considerations into our activities in collaboration with other interested
parties, all based on perspectives linked to social responsibility,
environmental responsibility, economic sustainability and an ethical
approach to our employees.
CSR is about being proactive, credible and transparent in issues affecting
people and the environment. Stångåstaden publishes this report to show
some of the examples related to sustainability issues that our company
is working on.

2 3
Facts about Stångåstaden Editorial by the Managing Director

AB Stångåstaden, founded in 1942, is Linköping’s muni-
cipally owned public housing company. The company
is part of the concern Linköpings Stadshus, which also
includes all of the other municipally owned companies.
The company shall manage its operations according to
commercial principles, as well as the principles of prime
cost, equality, and localisation.
AB Stångåstaden is Linköping’s largest landlord. The
fact is that almost one person out of every four in Linkö-
ping lives in one of the company’s properties. Stångå-
staden has a wide variety of housing to offer the market.
There are terraced houses, detached houses and apart-
ments to be found in both the central parts of the city as
well suburbs.
Stångåstaden’s vision: Stångåstaden is a long-term player in the property
Stångåstaden shall be the obvious choice for everyone market, where we take a very broad social-
who wants to build a life in Linköping. Stångåstaden economic responsibility. One of the ways in
shall set an example, internally and externally, locally which we do this is by treating our properties
and globally. as long-term investments and not as financial
transactions. We work according to our ambition
Stångåstaden’s business idea: of using our resources effectively and respon-
sibly. We want to limit our impact on nature and
Stångåstaden shall offer quality and peace of mind,
contribute to better living conditions and the
a wide range of affordable rental housing and homes
well-being of our tenants. Stångåstaden has high
suitable to their environment.
ambitions and the company must set an example
both locally and globally. This places responsi-
bility on all of our actions, even those entailing
only small changes, to become more efficient in
O.G
everything from our daily activities to our major
vägen

.S
ve

investments.
nss Ad
am IKEA
Cloetta

on torp
s v.
Rå s
le
väge

de
n
Ullevi
n

den
egår
Skatt

Hä
den sth

Facts about
egår
Ekän
ag
Nygårdsvä

Skatt sv.
gsvä
gen

Härnegat
Tornby

Sustainable development is always an ongoing process

gen

an

Distrikt City
City District
the environment, social
Stångåstaden
Härnegatan
Skäggetorp .
Br yggv
Roxen

and Stångåstaden’s holistic approach to the use of responsibility, and the

en
Cloettaväg

Market value of
en
sväg

resources, the economy, the environment and society economy, as well as the
lorp

Industrigatan
Mjö

n
ge
Ljungsbro tin
ge
vä
n Ekängen
Glyt Sveagata

properties:
Danmarksgatan
Cloetta
Be
Å

forms one part of the management process of our

Rese- Center
by

rg

Åbylund vägen

ethical position regarding

n
sv
lu

Nya ata Tellbo

centrum
nd

äg

ötg
Vasastaden
sg

en

Ledb G
.

ergs
väge
n sätersg. Vasavägen
Ask
Rydsvä Hjälm
eb
Repslaga

EUR 1.07 billion

gen en yv
äg
Gottfridsberg
Kon äg
dsv

everyday operations. Work continued during 2009

sist en
llsta

our relationships with

Hun or
Snickare

ieg.
Gä

Towards sustainability
atan
atan

ne
reg.
Bjö

be n
rg Kungsgata
en

rnkä

ag

sg
Industrig

g.
äg

nå .
tgöt

g.

sta
sv

rrsg.
Als

Ryd
Vä
alm

Ös
ät

V
er

Innerstaden

Turnover:
m

äst
sg
orr

n
ra

on developing sustainability management within the

Storgata
.

vä

other interested parties,

N

Hamngat
ge
n

.
gsg
ber
sv.

Bob

an

m
åsav. gatan
alm

O
Kärna tan Drottning Ådalag.
ergsg.

Himmnavägen
v

vägen psga
Tannefors
Ul
rr m

EUR 116 million

dtor n
slättsväge
S:t Larsg
Ryds

Mår

company, which has been environmentally certified

No

en

Malm
Furubackav.

not least our employees. Stångåstaden has the

Alléväg

Allé

Kas

Valla-
atan
erngat

rondellen Sparvsångsv.
Övers
W

Kapte

n
es

Rydsväge en
Valla
tm

slättsväg
G
teg.

an
an

ri

Malm
nsg

pg
na

ata
ga

according to ISO 14001 since 2005. In order to have

n
Furirg.

14 600 dwellings philosophy that the company is one part of a society in

ta

ata T1
n

ds g
n

ata

n
Mil ge
Trastsångsv.

ägen
sg

vä tg.
msv.

ban
ndav
lla
ård

Dra Va
Va lh
gerlu Stolplyckan
rg

alla
rmal

La
Dju

n ga
ata ta
Rekr
ytg n Linghem
Malmslätt
Söde

Eskadern

an impact in all areas, every unit has the responsibility

Fågelsångsv.

which sustainability applies to everyone, and we would

Tru
vägen

Golfbana

400 commercial
m

la
ga
s

. reg Brok
sv
Universitets
Sto

og
ind
.

sle
Fålåsavägen

de
vsk
rha

Universitetet n
M

Lö
aje
gsg

ld

for its own sustainability planning, where economic,

sv

Munkhags

like to see our taking of responsibility in a broader

.

gta
ata

Garnisons- n
rondellen Ödegå

properties
n

rdsgta
n
V
is
tv

Mjärdevi
Skogslyckega

Pr
äg

äs
Johannelund
en

tb
Sience Park ol
sg

West District
environmental and social aspects must all be included in
.

context.
Berga
Luftvä

Knektg.

tan
rnsg.

4 000 student flats

H
an
Hov
Fålåsavägen

den

in den
gel
etor

Söderle
le

ed
vs

en
ps
ho

both their business and action plans.

g.
bo

Pionjä
m
La

ns
Slestads-
rg.
E

rondellen
ki

(in their own

ftesg.

Uvelu

Jakobsdal
Tröskareg.

Plöjareg.

Vis
Mim

n Mjärdevi tv
ndsg.

äg
väge en
erga

ergs

HANS LANDER
Storskiftesg.
nkeb
St o

Ba
tan

rs

i f tesg.
k

Bro

subsidiary company)
Lambohov
kin
dsled
Arrendeg.

The fact that work on sustainability is linked to our Managing Director AB Stångåstaden
Vikingstad
en
sg.
Boställ

South District
Bygdeg

133 employees
atan

core business is an important success factor for us,

Torpareg.

Hanin

Blästad
gelede
n
nagatan

ogata

while it also involves a dimension outside the company’s

Blästadsg.
n

Långg.
Lamb
Lantman

Vidingsjö
Ekholmen

business activities. Therefore, the concepts of sustaina-

Greng.
Mo
g. rgo
gs ng.
da
Mid

Haninge Ullstämmavägen

Ullstämma

bility and sustainability reporting have become natural

terms within the company for the combined work with
Stångåstaden’s property portfolio

4 5
 1
Social
responsibility
The home and its immediate surroundings are important
when it comes to creating possibilities for people to lead
good lives. Through CSR, the taking of social responsibility,
we are helping to create good living conditions as well as
a safe and secure environment for everyone who lives and
works in Linköping.
CSR is an important part of our business. CSR can
make a difference to people at an individual level as
well as in various social groups. Community spirit and
meetings between people affect their overall well-being
as well as the atmosphere in a residential area, and in
some neighbourhoods this is abundantly clear. The
company has therefore invested in a range of cooperative
projects with schools and clubs, in order to be able to
work on security and integration issues via these projects
and at the same time see that activities are organised for
and by the tenants.
In consultation with the municipality, a political steering
group has been formed which, via a large network,
is part of the process now underway for developing a
model for suburban development in Linköping. Stångå-
staden brings the good experiences gained from the “Ett
Aktivt Ryd” project into this collaboration, in order to
show which factors gave successful results there, as well
as other experiences that need to be developed further.
Security - a key issue
Living in rental accommodation generally provides a
safe and carefree way of life. The landlord takes care of
the routine and general maintenance, while the tenant
can relax, spend time on rewarding pastimes, and not
6 7
have to worry about the uncertainty of interest rates.
Security, of course, is also about residents feeling safe,
both in their residential areas and in their homes. The
comfort and well-being factors increase when a person
feels safe and secure, something that is measured clearly
in our annual customer surveys. It can be seen in these
how the tenants perceive the way their security and well-
being are affected by the company’s efforts and commit-
ment.
The trend regarding security continued in 2009 with
ongoing operations, such as continuously reviewing the
lighting in the communal areas of the housing estates
(both indoors and outdoors), and keeping bushes and
shrubberies pruned. Work on introducing an electronic
outer security system also continued. There are many
advantages to the electronic lock system (known as tags).
The main one concerns keeping unauthorised people
out of the stairwells. The tags cannot be copied like
ordinary keys, and they can be set up according to the
individual needs of each tenant. This system had been
installed in 63 buildings by the end of 2009.
In its summary of 2009, Stångåstaden could state that
through the company’s actions the number of break-ins
decreased for the third consecutive year. In 2009, the
number of burglaries fell to 213, this from 412 in 2006.
Collaborative projects
One way to increase well-being in residential areas is to
invest in projects together with clubs and associations
that get people involved socially. Stångåstaden’s invol-
vement in these increasingly important collaborative
projects varies, but is always based on dialogue about
activities that could be put into action. Sometimes our
contribution consists of making premises available,
while on other occasions it may mean financial support
for the association organising the activity. Stångåstaden
benefits from there being a broad range of good acti-
vities in the area, and will be looking to broaden the
number of collaborative projects in the future.
Activities for children and young people
In collaboration with mainly sports clubs, Stångåstaden
helps to create the right conditions for activities in the
residential areas that primarily give children and young
people something to do. The company collaborates to a
various degree today with around 30 clubs and associa-
tions. These organisations receive a financial contribu-
tion towards running, above all, activities for young
people in Stångåstaden’s residential areas. This work
is constantly evolving. Stångåstaden is convinced that
when children and young people are offered meaningful
activities there is less mischief and vandalism in the resi-
dential areas and everyone’s well-being increases. A lot
of people take part in the various activities, which are
very much appreciated.
During 2009, Stångåstaden initiated cooperation with
the Jippi Kulturproduktion theatre company, which
among other things puts on a children’s theatre show
in Gamla Linkoping. They were also involved with the
company during the so-called “Canal Day” at Berg
Lock on Mother’s Day. They manned Stångåstaden’s
raft, acting throughout as Ronja Robber’s daughter, the
Astrid Lindgren character, and thieves. Stångåstaden
contributed further by providing a climbing wall for the
event.
An Active Ryd
Stångåstaden has been running the project “An Active
Ryd” (the literal translation of “Ett aktivt Ryd”), with
support from the Municipality of Linköping, since
2005. The goal of the project is to create conditions in
which tenants of all ages can be found some kind of
worthwhile employment.
The association that was created by An Active Ryd in
June 2006 has evolved into a completely independent
organisation, with a Board consisting of five people, all
of whom live in Ryd. The association’s activities today
consist of, among other things, being involved with
children’s and young people’s services, the planning and
implementation of national day celebrations, local coor-
dination and holiday activities. The study group started
by An Active Ryd in 2006 now offers courses in Swedish
For Immigrants, in addition to courses in computer
skills, social studies and Swedish language tuition at
various levels.
Employment has been a key issue for the association
for a couple of years now. A major project was set in
motion this year with the creation of “AKR”, which is
a workers’ cooperative in Ryd. AKR is a cooperative
society, with its own board, and has the task of creating
jobs for people who would otherwise find it difficult
to enter the labour market. The cooperative has ten
employees, and it is their knowledge, skills and personal
qualities that determine which jobs are picked up from
various different clients. These are normally relatively
small jobs, taking two or three months to complete, and
have so far consisted of minor painting, gardening, clea-
1
Social responsibility
ning and carpentry jobs. Staff members are also supervi-
sors for the new workers within their respective fields of
expertise. AKR expects to have 10-15 positions open at
any one time, and it is hoped that work carried out via
the cooperative will ultimately lead to employment with
a client for the majority of them. The three-year “TÄNK
OM” project (literally “WHAT IF”) continued during
the year. The project, aimed at increasing employment,
is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). Another
project started up in Ryd in August, called “Ung röst”
(Voice of the Young). This is being carried out together
with the municipality’s social secretary and others who
work with young people. The aim is to get involved
in discussions and find out the best way for adults to
interact with young people. The ideas and suggestions
of young people are worthy of attention but sometimes
they get lost along the way, for example, due to the fact
that their language can be different to that of adults.
ting contract is changed to a direct rental contract.
This is normally after about 18 months, but it can take
longer. Such contact between the social welfare office
and Stångåstaden’s Living Socially Project group is
ongoing. Consultation on policy issues with the respec-
tive management groups and politicians also takes place
regularly. This cooperation contributes greatly to the
fact that Linkoping, considering the size of the city, is in
a very good position in terms of the number of home-
less people. Designated staff, people with backgrounds
in social services, psychiatry, and from the Integration
Office, work in the Living Socially Project group. This
group also deals with matters related to people whose
identity is protected, as well as disturbance issues.

Collaboration with the City Mission

A three-year collaborative project with Linköping’s City
Mission continued in 2009. The purpose of this project
is to create employment and increase the proficiency
of people with some form of disability or handicap;
illiteracy for example. During the year, the participants
helped to carry out a review of the lighting in the area,
change the names on the signs in the stairwells, and
carry out some of the easier routine maintenance such as
applying oil to the garden furniture.

Living Socially Project

The Living Socially Project, in collaboration with the
social welfare office, continued in 2009. The aim is to
help people who do not satisfy the requirements set out
in the housing rental policy to find somewhere to live.
The social welfare office has around 150 individual
agreements with Stångåstaden today for people who
need this help. When the party concerned is deemed
ready for his or her own accommodation, the sublet-

8 9

2
Environmental
responsibility
By means of today’s greenhouse gas emissions and our
disrespectful use of the Earth’s resources, we are causing
serious climate change. We need to make some radical
changes in the way we use our planet’s resources, ones
where we take responsibility for our common environment.
Environmental Management
Environmental management is based on a number of
environmental targets dealing with energy efficiency;
the reduced use of resources, the phasing out of harmful
substances, environmental management of projects and
contracts, a healthy indoor environment, and environ-
mentally aware tenants.
New this year is that the responsibility for active work
on sustainability has been delegated to each unit, with
principal responsibility and reporting to the environ-
mental and sustainability manager. In practice, this
means that the sustainability aspects should be consi-
dered in the decisions taken everyday, and that each unit
works with actual activities based on a plan of action
that comes straight from the company’s business plan.
Everyone is thereby involved in the issue, making it come
alive within the organization rather than being just a
document that someone else is responsible for.
Energy efficiency
From both the environmental and the economic perspec-
tives, work on reducing energy consumption is a matter
of major importance. Over 99 per cent of Stångåstaden’s
housing stock is connected to the district heating
network, which is an environmentally and economically
10
beneficial solution. The pace of our energy-saving work
will increase in the future, with new focus on analysis
and more effective management of maintenance.
A new tool, Momentum Resource Control, is being
implemented. This will enable faster feedback of energy
performance, thereby speeding up the introduction of
more efficient measures. The system manages building
information, media statistics and media costs, as well as
all the information about the buildings themselves, and
this will have a significant impact on our use of energy.
Focus on wind power
As part of Stångåstaden’s sustainability efforts, the
company acquired shares during the year in Bixia AB’s
wind power company, Bixia Gryningsvind AB. Stångå-
staden currently owns 40 per cent of the shares. Stångå-
staden sees this as a long-term and economically sound
investment; a sustainable way to invest in renewable
energy.
Reduced use of resources
The project “Future proof laundry rooms” first opened
in 2008 and continued during 2009. The aim of the
project is to reduce the use of electricity in the company’s
laundry rooms. The measures consist of replacing
older machines with newer ones, with lower water
consumption, faster programmes and reduced energy
consumption. Where possible, the washing machines are
connected to domestic hot water, in order to use district
heating rather than electricity to heat the water in the
machine. Other measures in the project are the instal-
lation of motion sensors to control lighting, and the
conversion of the drying rooms from electrical heating to
district heating or the installation of drying cupboards.
Stångåstaden has received a grant of EUR 0.13 million
from the Environmental Protection Agency (Klimp) for
the period 2008-2012 to support this project.
Waste is both a resource and an
environmental problem
Through sensible and effective waste management,
both the tenants and the company contribute to the
recovery of resources. Almost all (over 99.5 per cent) of
Stångåstaden’s tenants now have less than 200 metres to
their nearest recycling centre.
Phasing out harmful substances
Apart from energy consumption, the greatest environ-
mental impact comes from the chemicals (asbestos,
mercury, lead, radon, and PCBs) that exist in the
construction materials used in the properties. A natural
step to take in conjunction with the phasing out of
harmful substances is that of ensuring that all new
construction, rebuilding, and renovation work will be
free from harmful substances. For this reason, materials
are chosen only if they are listed in the environmental
database “Sunda Hus”. This database was created after
a comprehensive environmental assessment of building
materials, and it forms a very useful resource for the
company’s environmental work.
Stångåstaden places demands on its suppliers and
contractors that they also work in an environmentally
sound manner. Therefore, the company performs regular
quality and environmental audits on its suppliers.
Fossil fuel use reducing
Stångåstaden’s last oil-fired boiler was converted to
biologically-based oil as long ago as 2007. This measure
has reduced the use of fossil oil by almost 230 cubic
metres and emissions have fallen by 370 tonnes in the
three years that have passed. The plant is now facing a
conversion to district heating, scheduled to take place
during the spring of 2010.
Healthy indoor environment
Radon measurements have been carried out previously
in our housing stock and, wherever the value exceeded
the 200 Bq/m3 limit, Stångåstaden continued to perform
investigations and introduce corrective measures during
the year. These measures have so far reduced the number
of flats above the threshold from around 1 600 to
around 400. During our radon mitigation work we have
had good contact with the municipality’s Environment
Office, filing regular reports on the values and present
status.
Environmentally aware tenants
During the year we introduced some new environmental
pages, including a lot of useful information concerning
food, to our new website. A feedback campaign was
in operation during the year in which Stångåstaden’s
tenants were told what their environmental commitment
had led to. Through their recycling of 1 491 tonnes of
newspapers and cardboard packaging, for example, they
helped to save 40 hectares of forest. One ton equates to
around 14 trees. In this case that means 20 874 trees,
which is roughly the same as the entire Vallaskogen
wood, a nature reserve situated in the centre of Linkö-
ping.
New tenants are offered a voucher of SEK 300 to spend
in the company’s Smart Home store. Alternatively,
they might prefer to support the Nature Conservation
Society’s climate work or the “Vi-skogen” tree-planting
project, run by the magazine Vi, simply by donating
their voucher to one of these projects. So far, 110 people
have demonstrated their environmental commitment by
donating their vouchers to Vi-skogen, while 67 people
have purchased emissions rights via the Nature Conser-
vation Society.
The green car pool that was introduced in 2005 was not
the success that Stångåstaden would have liked. Tenants
could become members of Stångåstaden’s collaborative
partner Sunfleet, and then rent environmentally friendly
cars at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, the collabora-
tion with Sunfleet ended 31 December 2009, as Sunfleet
did not consider the level of bookings justified having
the two cars. However, Stångåstaden is reluctant to
abandon the idea of being able to offer green car pool
facilities to its clients, so the company is now looking for
alternative partners.
11
3
Economic
sustainability

Stångåstaden sees property as a long-term investment.

Good and responsible property management, combined
with stable economic development of the company, will
create the conditions necessary to have sustainable and
attractive homes for many years.

The market for property and housing in which Stån-
gåstaden operates is fully competitive. As a long-term
player in this market, Stångåstaden takes a socially
responsible position by looking at property as a long-
term investment, not a series of financial transactions.
The company is also an important partner and developer
of the community in Linkoping, partly because of the
number of jobs the organisation creates, partly because
of the large construction projects it carries out in the
municipality, and partly because of all the procurement
contracts it awards each year.
Continuing new construction
Despite the downturn in the economy, and in cont-
rast to much of the market, Stångåstaden continued
the positive trend of new construction that has been
going on for some years. During the year, a total of 52
homes in Lambohov, Ekängen and Södra Ekkällan were
completed. The forecast for 2010 is that 41 more homes
will be completed.
offer good housing for everyone for many years. For this
purpose, there is a large investment and maintenance
budget. The proportion of renovated flats in the port-
folio is increasing, and our efforts to further improve
the first impressions given by the residential areas will
become a priority job next year.
Low vacancy rate
Stångåstaden’s vacancy rate has been low for many
years. This is clearly advantageous from an economic
point of view, as it means that losses are minimised
while revenues are stable, meaning they can be used
for continued investment. By using a variety of means
to invest in a good residential environment that creates
well-being among its tenants, Stångåstaden is an attrac-
tive landlord.

Long-term administration
Stångåstaden takes the responsibility of managing its
properties well, while at the same time the company
maintains and develops the properties from a long-term
sustainability perspective. All of this is so that we can

12 13
4
Working with
other interested
parties
Stångåstaden, as a public housing company, should
be beneficial for its owners, customers, and society. In
accordance with other interested parties, we are developing
our operations in a responsible and businesslike manner that
is beneficial to everybody.
Dialogue with tenants
What the tenants think about Stångåstaden is important.
Our customers should feel safe and secure in their
homes and residential areas. There should be a feeling
of community spirit, and their views and aspirations for
creating greater well-being are important. The company
places great emphasis on issues of influence and partici-
pation for its tenants.
The well-being factor is often greater in those areas
where participation and commitment are high, so Stån-
gåstaden therefore supports various different forms of
group activities such as cleaning days, barbecues, and
security walks, all of which is in addition to its colla-
borative projects with various local clubs and associa-
tions. Stångåstaden sees customer dialogue not only as
customer care, but also as a natural part of sustainable
social development.
Event
The opening of The Tower in Tornby turned into a
huge and popular festival and the major event of the
year for both Stångåstaden and many of the residents of
Linköping. The tower was opened up for viewing on 21
August for local politicians and other people important
to Stångåstaden, and the evening ended with dinner for
14
The artwork was in the form of a bird’s nest containing
three eggs illuminated from the inside from which voices
could be heard.
Brand measurement
Work on strengthening Stångåstaden’s brand is a
constantly ongoing process and among other things is
about changing attitudes towards Stångåstaden rental
housing. Many things affect the way in which resi-
dents and potential tenants perceive Stångåstaden as a
company, such as its communications with the market,
the board members, local politicians and major cont- its attractive new buildings, sustainability thinking, a
ractors. The inauguration then took place on 29-30 broader choice of flats suitable for older tenants, and
August. An enormous blue and yellow band had been increased service. The company is working to improve
tied around the building, and the Managing Director of perceptions of rental accommodation; by offering
Stångåstaden, Hans Lander, together with the Mayor, attractive housing in a variety of environments, it can
Ann-Catrin Hjerdt, cut the ribbon from a hydraulic plat- be a genuine alternative to owning one’s own house or
form standing fully 30 metres off the ground. In total, belonging to a housing cooperative. Customers want
almost 2 400 people have now toured the building. choice, and Stångåstaden offers a wide range of proper-
ties as well as the possibility for tenants to directly affect
The inauguration of the new the standard of their flats via tenant-directed mainte-
service office in Johannelund nance.
in September also drew a large
crowd. A book, entitled “Folk The annual customer survey was carried out in 2009
och Hem i Johannelund”, with one new measurement – the service index. The
about the people and history customer survey gives the company a good picture of
of the area, written by Anna what the tenants are satisfied with, as well as what they
Eskilsson, was published at are less satisfied with, regarding their landlord. It is
the same time as the opening very satisfying that in 2009 Stångåstaden was the most
ceremony. popular company in Sweden, when it came to customer
Stångåstaden was also satisfaction, in comparison with other housing compa-
involved in the housing exhibi- nies that have more than 9 000 homes.
tion at the Cloetta Centre, Annual surveys also measure the attitude of the residents
as well as in “Vinterljus”, of Linköping towards the company and how these atti-
from November to January, tudes change. The poll this year showed that the propor-
which was a light installation tion of Linköping residents who believe that Stångå-
designed by Roland Törnqvist. staden has a good reputation has increased further, from
36 per cent in 2008 to 43 per cent in 2009. The tenants’
attitudes to Stångåstaden are also measured. This year’s
poll showed that fully 64 per cent would be willing to
recommend Stångåstaden’s properties to friends and
acquaintances, an increase from last year’s 61 per cent.
Press and PR
Contact with the media, along with other PR activities,
is a major part of the company’s branding and important
for people’s perception of Stångåstaden. Active PR
work means among other things the creation of good
relationships with the media via the supply of conti-
nuous, honest and open information. The company’s
corporate communications department works very hard
with building relationships and getting news released,
all of which has resulted in more positive articles about
Stångåstaden, and fewer negative ones, compared to the
previous three years.
Information channels
The website is an increasingly important tool for
publishing information. In order to maintain a high level
of service when it comes to keeping tenants and other
interested parties informed, Stångåstaden redeveloped its
website during 2009, giving it a new and lighter design.
It now has an improved search facility for those looking
for housing, and it offers information on various housing
projects such as new construction or housing adapted for
older tenants, as well as information for specific areas
of the city. Other information channels are the customer
magazine “Välkommen Hem” (literally “Welcome
Home”) and the new television channel, “Framtidens
TV” (“TV of the Future”).
15

5
Good working
environment
Stångåstaden’s staff has high levels of competence and
commitment. Job satisfaction is high and the desire to
develop is there too. By means of continuous investment in
the employees, we are creating the right conditions for the
good work to continue.
Value Based Leadership
The company’s culture and core values – Close to the
Customer, Professional, Committed, Stable and Active –
form the cornerstones for the value-based leadership on
which Stångåstaden bases its operation.
Good management is the foundation of a working
environment that is built on respect, participation and
accountability. The method is about clarity and agreeing
on what specific type of conduct is successful. The focus
for the last year was on the holistic approach, self-moti-
vation, and objectives. These areas of focus permeate
through the entire company and its activities.
The development of skills and employees
Stångåstaden would like to be at the forefront regar-
ding skills development for its employees at all levels
within the company. If the company wants to attract
the industry’s best managers and employees, it is very
important that its position in the market as an attractive
employer is maintained.
The development discussion is a strategically important
management tool, based on the goal of attracting, deve-
loping and retaining skills within the company. Deve-
lopment discussions take place between an employee
16
and his or her immediate manager. They are about
following-up and setting new goals, discussing the need
for skills development, and encouraging creativity and
commitment. The employee’s health is also checked
during these discussions.
Reorganisation that involved many
The decision and then the implementation of the reor-
ganisation was the year’s main event for all employees
in the company. Stångåstaden went from being an
organisation focused on function to one focused on
geographical and target groups, and this involved some
big changes for the employees. The purpose of the reor-
ganisation was to increase our proximity to the custo-
mers, to introduce more rational property development,
and to create clearer roles for our employees by giving
them greater responsibility for customer relations, the
company’s economy and its properties. The change also
resulted in increased collaboration within the company,
and was perceived as making everything more busines-
slike. The reorganisation proposal was presented at large
meetings and workshops, in which the employees were
given the opportunity to submit their own proposals
and comments. Three district offices were created in
conjunction with the reorganisation, which meant that
several old offices closed and new ones, including Johan-
nelund and Tornet, were opened. New opening times
and revised working hours for the employees were also
adjusted and approved.
Employee surveys produce answers
The annual employee survey was carried out during
November. Given the major reorganisation that had
taken place, involving more or less the entire staff, there
was a great deal of suspense as to how the changes
would affect the employee index. No less than 94 per
cent of the employees completed the survey, answering
109 questions about their assessment of their current
state of affairs at work, and its importance. The results
showed that Stångåstaden’s job satisfaction index, or
the number of satisfied employees, stood at 93 per cent.
It was noted that the employees felt an improvement in
terms of businesslike behaviour and financial security,
that management had become more clearly defined and
involved, and that the organisation, its way of operating,
its roles and its teams had all developed well.
The healthy company
The company continues to systematically invest in
preventive health maintenance. This applies both to
physical activities as well as lectures and the deve-
lopment of the working environment. In addition, all
employees are offered a training pass to the sports faci-
lity of their choice, while at the same time the company
supports its own very active sports club.
Stångåstaden was recognised in research carried out by
the Karolinska Institute as long ago as 2008 as one of
eight Swedish companies that really highlights what a
healthy company is. That research project was aimed
at ascertaining how companies whose employees take
significantly less sick leave than those at other compa-
nies actually work. The project has now become a book,
entitled “Keys to Healthy Companies”, in which Stån-
gåstaden is presented as one of eight good examples of a
healthy company.
Total sick leave at Stångåstaden in 2009 was just 1.66
per cent. However, this actually represented a slight
increase from the previous year, when absenteeism due
to sickness was extremely low at 1.21 per cent. The
company carefully monitors all absence due to sickness,
and the increase for 2009 has been analysed and deemed
to be normal.
Preventive health maintenance
The company has a health group responsible for the
work on preventive health maintenance. A pilot project
- Lifestyle 2009 – was carried out during 2009 at the
company’s office in Ryd, in collaboration with the Feel-
good company health organisation. All employees took
part, and the purpose of the project was to provide the
participants with the tools needed to work with changes,
especially changes in lifestyle. The starting point was
always the self-perceived present situation and what the
individual wanted to work with in order to feel better.
The seminars created inspiration and increased aware-
ness of health issues and the psychological processes
that obstruct change. The project took place between
February and June and was followed up in the autumn
to measure its effectiveness and to check the results of
the participants.
Safety and security
Another essential precondition for both job satisfaction
and good health among employees is that they feel safe
at work. For this reason, Stångåstaden has been working
actively for years to create a safe working environment.
This applies to our offices and out in the residential
areas, and can refer to issues such as the physical design
of rooms and buildings, the possibility to raise an alarm
in an emergency, and having good routines, practices
and procedures. A threatening situation of some kind
was experienced at work by 13 people during 2008.
Whenever such a threat is reported by an employee, it is
always followed up by that person’s immediate manager
and also the head of safety and security. There is also a
routine in place to ensure that the employee will meet
with a representative of the occupational health service
at least once. The principle is to offer a great deal of
support time immediately and reduce it afterwards,
rather than having to expand it over time. The employee
surveys show that confidence in both the company’s
planning and its implementation of such measures
has increased sharply in recent years, and now stands
slightly above 4.4 on a five-point scale.
17
 1 Social responsibility 2 Environmental responsibility
SKY SKY
Indicator Unit 2007 2008 2009 average* Indicator Unit 2007 2008 2009 average
Average area per type of residence 1 r+k m2 36 36 36 37 Does the company work actively with environmental
improvement measures? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 r+k m2 60 60 60 60
Does the company impose environmental require-
3 r+k m2 78 78 78 78 ments during public procurement? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes
4 r+k m 2
98 98 98 96 Amount of energy consumed by the property port- kWh/
5 r+k m 2
118 118 118 118 folio m² 209 207 203 181.6

> 5 r+k m2 295 295 295 167 Amount of greenhouse gas emitted by the housing
stock kg/m2 13.1 13.0 12.9 16.4
Average rent per type of residence 1 r+k EUR/m2 97.2 97.2 102.2 101.7
Proportion of renewable energy company uses % 86 86 85 83.6
2 r+k EUR/m2 88.8 92.4 95.5 92.5
Carbon dioxide emissions from company vehicles Ton
3 r+k EUR/m2 84 87.6 91.5 89.6 CO2/
4 r+k EUR/m2 82.8 86.4 90 88.2 year 25 25 22 141

5 r+k EUR/m2 81.6 84 86.7 87.8 Development of water consumption in the company’s
housing stock m³/m² 1.44 1.47 1.48 1.75
> 5 r+k EUR/m2 - – 84.2 84.5
Company engaged in shaping public opinion regar-
Operational cost development ** EUR/m2 55.2 48.3 63.9 47.3 ding environmental concerns Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Rental development EUR/m2 87.7 87.3 92.9 88.9 Amount of waste produced in the housing stock Compost kg/flat - - - 33
% 1.8 2.6 2.7 3.2 Household
waste kg/flat 363 379 365 331
Moving within housing stock (excludes students) Total % 22.6 23.2 21.9 16.4
Material
Internal % 10.2 9.6 9.85 6.8 that can
Does the company operate a non-discriminatory be recycled * kg/flat 98 120 113 154
letting policy? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes * Material that can be recycled included: Glass kg/flat 14.0 19.2 20.0
Does the company work to increase social cohesion in Plastic kg/flat 1.6 2.6 3.8
its districts? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Metal kg/flat 1.4 2.0 2.1
Costs of social responsibility
(suburban development) *** EUR/flat 40.7 52.7 42 32.1 Card and
cardboard kg/flat 16.5 19.1 20.3
Costs of company’s social help
(the Living Socially Group) EUR/flat 17.8 17.8 17.8 75.8 Electrical and
electronic kg/flat 4.4 5.8 6.9
Proportion of housing in the company’s stock suitable for
elderly and disabled people % 40 40 40 54.4 Newspapers kg/flat 60.2 70.9 60.1
Does the company work with safety and security issues
on an ongoing basis? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes
New construction of rental apartments Qty 78 55 52 121.5
% 0.53 0.38 0.36 0.56
Property Acquisition % 0 0 0 
Proportion of special housing accommodation the
company stands for % - – 52 61
Evictions due to economic reasons or disturbance Disturbance number 2 5 4 2.8
Economic
reasons number 38 32 33 30.3
*SKY average – see definitions, last page.
**operational costs refer to operational costs, administrative and overall business costs
*** internal and external costs

18 19
 3 Economic sustainability 5 Good working environment
Indicator SKY SKY
Unit 2007 2008 2009 average Indicator Unit 2007 2008 2009 average
Proportion of renovated flats, relative to existing Form of employment/fulltime employee Permanent % 92 94 97 90
housing stock % 2.9 3.6 1.9 2.85
Seasonal % 8 6 3 10
Unused investment and maintenance costs EUR
(excluding new construction) million 43 42.8 38.2 48 Is there a health and safety at work policy? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes

EUR/flat 1400 2300 2600 3100 Proportion of employees who are satisfied with their
work – job satisfaction index % 87 88 93 80.9
The company’s rate of occupancy Total % 98.9 99.6 99.1 99
EUR/
Company's investment in new construction and New EUR * Education and training for staff Outcome employee 770 1280 1160 822.7
land acquisition construction million 5.3 5.5 10.6 21.2 Work-related
Acquisition EUR Absence from work because of: accidents % 0 0 0 3.4
million 0 0 0 20.8 Sickness and
Does the company follow an established procurement stress % 1.5 1.21 1.66 4.3
policy containing sustainability criteria? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes ** Distribution of average monthly salary between Office workers, EUR/
gender and category of employees male month 2938 3049 3151 3198
Office workers, EUR/
female month 2379 2510 2595 2722

4 Working with other interested parties Special employment *** Trainee Number 15 15 15 7.6

Indicator SKY Number of employees born overseas, relative to

Unit 2007 2008 2009 average municipality population % – – 104 74.0

Does the company set up and carry out regular dialogue Proportion of women in management positions Board % 25 25 20 29.8
with the tenants? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes Management
Proportion of the company’s tenants who are satisfied Service- group % 0 22 22 23.5
with their housing index % 3.87* 3.93* 82.8 82.1
*course fees, excluding travel, hotel, and time off work
Security **excluding MD’s salary
index % 3.79* 3.87* 78.1 78.4 *** trainee means a person receiving practical experience and some form of compensation
Is the company actively working on planned measures
aimed at increasing the satisfaction of the residents? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Does the company have, and does it follow, a sponsor-
ship policy? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Eurhonet comparisons 2009
Stångå- Eurhonet
Does the company work to an established code of Unit staden average Best Best organisation
ethics? Yes/No No No No Yes
New construction of rental accommodation % 0.56 0.93 3.7 AB Gavlegårdarna
Does the company have long-term goals towards which
to navigate, derived from the business plan? Yes/No Yes Yes Yes Yes Energy consumed by the housing stock kWh/m² 203 176.4 102 GBG Mannheim GE
Amount of greenhouse gas emitted by
*until 2008 the company used a satisfied customer index with a scale of 1-5 the housing stock kg/m² 12.9 30.8 2.7 AB Gavlegårdarna
Proportion of renovated flats, relative to existing
housing stock % 1.9 2.77 9.67 FSM, FR
Company’s investment in new construction EUR
million 10.6 24 87 Familjebostäder Sthlm

20 21
Definitions
Renovation
This concept refers to flats that were, during the year,
affected by major maintenance work, renovation, refur-
bishment or retrofit measures. Renovation is defined as
changing a building, part of a building, or an installa-
tion into a state that is, from a functionality perspective,
comparable to the condition of new. The concept of
“renovation of flats” includes the replacement of waste
water downpipes, so-called “relining”, improvements
made to seals in the bathrooms and kitchens, new
kitchen cabinets, etc. Normal maintenance, such as wall-
papering, painting, carpet replacement, and the replace-
ment of individual sanitary products, is not included.
Definition of renewable energy
Renewable energy means a source of energy that is
constantly renewing itself and, as far as we can tell
today, will not run out in the foreseeable future. Solar
energy, biofuels, hydropower and wind power are
sources of renewable energy. Stored energy (fossil fuels)
such as oil, coal, gas and uranium are not renewable
energy sources. This means that electricity can be
considered to be renewable energy when it is produced
in hydro or biomass power plants, but not when it is
produced in nuclear power plants or power plants driven
by oil or coal.
Other renewable energy sources:
• Solar energy – solar cells, solar heating, solar panels
• Wind power - wind farms, wind turbines
• Hydropower - salt and wave power, tidal power, ocean
thermal power
• Terrestrial power – heat pumps, underground heating,
geothermal heating, water heat exchangers
• Bioenergy - fuel pellets, biofuel
Operational costs
Operational costs refer to operational costs, administra-
tive and overall business costs.
Costs for social responsibility
Internal costs refer to those incurred for district and
suburban developers or their equivalents, as well as any
implementation costs for work on tenant influence, the
support of associations, homework assistance, and local
area events aimed at increasing community or social
interaction. External costs refer to those of the Tenants’
Association or other external organisations.
22
Social assistance Sustainability criteria during the
The cost of social living issues is included in the fram- procurement process
ework of social assistance. There may be personnel costs
Criteria such as ethical and social responsibility are
for those dealing with disturbances, financial counsel-
included in this concept, as well as economic criteria.
ling, evictions, work with social priority and short-term
By default, the tender schedule should include clauses
contracts (trial period contracts) that are linked to the
giving the right to cancel if any party or representative/
social living group or its equivalent.
employee of a party, at any point during the term of
the contract, and in his role as representative/employee
The municipality’s special accommodation of a party, is convicted of unlawful discrimination
This refers to flats where the municipality is responsible or is forced to pay damages after being found guilty
for contract, sometimes known as satellite flats. Group of violating the laws of equality or discrimination in
housing and sheltered accommodation are not included. the workplace. All parties must also comply with the
Evictions current laws regarding the working environment and
Eviction means the Enforcement Authority carrying out health and safety at work. With regard to finances, the
tendering party must be able to show that he is free from
the eviction of the tenant. The basis for the eviction is a
barriers to participate according to the laws of public
decision, judgement or court ruling which says that the
procurement.
tenant is required to move out. A situation where Stån-
gåstaden gives notice to terminate a rental contract and
the tenant accepts this is not defined as an eviction. Environmental requirements during procurement
Environmental requirements during the procurement
Housing accessible for the elderly process vary depending on what is being procured. They
This term refers to properties that can be reached might refer to demands regarding company vehicles
without having to climb a step. It is therefore made up of used in certain types of contract, or perhaps to specific
ground floor homes as well as flats that can be reached building materials being used in our properties. During
by lift. Note that if there is a height difference at the renovation, new construction, or maintenance work,
entrance, there must be a ramp or something similar. . there are demands placed on how any waste that arises
will be sorted.
CO2 calculation model
To calculate CO2 emissions from our operations, the SKY average
following conversion factors are used: Average figures for SKY companies in 2009 were
calculated using data from: Bostads AB Vätterhem,
FORM OF ENERGY UNIT EMISSIONS PER UNIT ÖrebroBostäder AB, Helsingborgshem, AB Stångå-
staden, Gavlegårdarna, and Familjebostäder Stockholm.
Electricity KWh 257 grams CO2
Oil m 3
2680 kg CO2
District Heating KWh 102.8 grams CO2
Petrol Litre 2.4 kg
Diesel Litre 2.7 kg
Ethanol (E85) Litre 0.36 kg
Biogas Litre 0
For air travel, we use the Tricorona calculation model
for emissions. For private vehicles, fuel consumption is
estimated to be one litre for every 10 km travelled by
a petrol-driven car, and 0.8 litres for diesel-powered
vehicles.
23
 EURHONET
European
Housing
Network

24