The benefits available from Kela to help with housing costs cover a wide range of situations. If you are retired, or in military or non-military service, you cannot, as a rule, get general housing allowance. As of 1 August 2025, students will no longer get general housing allowance. Instead they can get housing supplement for students.
Are you applying for general housing allowance?
- If you have a small income, you can get general housing allowance
General housing allowance is available for rental, right-of-occupancy and part-ownership housing.
Read more about the entitlement criteria for housing allowance. - General housing allowance is affected by several factors, such as your income and your housing costs
You can get housing allowance if your income does not exceed the income limit for your municipality. Only part of your housing costs are taken into account when calculating your housing allowance.
Read more about the factors that affect the housing allowance. - Use an online calculator to estimate your benefits
Because there are several factors that affect the housing allowance, the easiest way to get an estimate is to use our calculator.
Go to the calculator. - Use the OmaKela e-service to apply for general housing allowance
You can apply for allowance in the OmaKela e-service. OmaKela is available in Finnish and Swedish.
Go to OmaKela.
What else is going on in your life?
Are you about to move?
Moving may affect the amount of Kela benefits you can get. Your benefits may also be affected if someone else moves in with you.
Are you unemployed?
If you are unemployed, you can get basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy.
Are you a student?
Apply for financial aid for students and for housing supplement.
When money is tight
If you have a very low income despite receiving other benefits from Kela, find out if you are eligible for social assistance.
Current topics
Changes in housing benefits for students as of 1 August 2025
The majority of students can get the new student housing supplement from the beginning of the autumn term 2025. This means that general housing allowance will no longer be paid to students after 31 July 2025. You can apply for the student housing supplement in the OmaKela e-service in June 2025 at the earliest. The supplement will be paid from 1 August 2025 onwards. The change will not apply to students who live with their child or their partner’s child.
Read more