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Investor family will erect autism homes nationwide in next five years
An increasing need for housing for citizens with autism is now giving rise to the Kartago Group's first socially based housing project north of Aarhus. This is stated by CEO Alexander Thygesen.
Alexander Thygesen is Managing Director at Kartago Capital.
Real estate group Kartago Capital is stepping into new territory in real estate development as it plunges into the company's first project dedicated to creating homes for adults with autism.
The project will be built in the village of Pindstrup, north of Aarhus, where between 45 and 50 citizens with autism will be housed.
In this context, Kartago has entered into a strategic cooperation with the concept company Mortensen Njordrum, which combines competencies and an understanding of the need and has a clear vision for how to realize the goal of creating housing that precisely suits the needs of these citizens.
“We've spent a while looking into social infrastructure and specifically around autism housing. This is a case that we will be looking into a lot over the next five years,” Alexander Thygesen, CEO of Kartago Capital, told EjendomsWatch.
The first project under this auspices is presented in light of the fact that Chairman Hans Thygesen revealed in an interview with EjendomsWatch in September that the Group would invest heavily in an alternative form of housing that had the social aspect of the ESG agenda in mind.
In the past, the Kartago Group has mainly focused on building retail properties in Northern Europe.
More diagnoses and long waiting lists
According to Director Alexander Thygesen, the need for housing for citizens with autism is great, and it is a problem that only seems to be growing, he states:
“Our impression, both when we talk to relatives and some of the operators located around the country, is that there are long waiting lists and municipalities find it difficult to keep up and build new ones.”
He also points to the fact that more and more people are being diagnosed, while many of the homes are becoming permanent homes for citizens with autism.
“It also means that there is not a very large replacement, so there will continue to be a backlog. Thus, our many years of experience in developing real estate projects can help to create an ideal environment and more spaces in the area,” he adds.
The urgent need for more housing offers means that Kartago Capital sees this area as an important part of the Group's future strategy.
Gaining experience from partners
The project plans in Pindstrup are not based on a completely new initiative. It is based on experience from a recently built housing project in Zealand.
Here Mortensen Njordrum and Boligfonden Autism, part of Landsforeningen Autism — an interest organization for people with autism and their relatives — have been behind the development of an autism-specialized housing offer in Lejre Municipality.
Earlier in October, the first citizens moved into what is now operated by Det Private Housing Offer Højtoft, where the pension fund Akademikerpension has bought the residence as part of a framework agreement with a pool of DKK 130 million.
It is based, among other things, on the basis of experience that the Pindstrup project will be built. That is why Kartago Capital is teaming up with Njordrum Care and Landsforeningen Autism.
Visualization: Mortensen Njordrum.
The architects from Njordrum Care specialise in developing homes for special needs, and their modular wooden houses inspired by nature will also form the basis for the upcoming construction in Pindstrup.
Here the parties are transforming a former training and holiday centre, Pindstrup Centret, which closed at the end of last year, as well as building a new 80.000 Sign up for our newsletter Be at the forefront of the development. Get the latest knowledge from the industry with our newsletter. sqm of development area.
In the first phase, the Company plans a combination of renovating the existing buildings and adding 24 new homes. Stage 2 will include the expansion with three new book groups that will collectively accommodate 28 homes.
Both stages are conceived into a unified master plan that takes advantage of the obvious landscape qualities of the site. The architectural expression and adaptation to the surroundings are a key part of the design, and the parties also have a strong focus on sustainability and design in both the construction itself and its execution.
“We will build what we hope will be the best housing offer you can find for citizens with autism.”
Alexander Thygesen, Managing Director at Carthage Capital
Will meet stringent investment requirements
The demand for housing for autistic people is driven not only by the direct needs of citizens, but also by the growing interest of institutional investors who are increasingly focused on sustainable and social investments, among other things.
“It is difficult to build something of a certain size today if you direct it to institutional investors without looking into their investment requirements,” says Alexander Thygesen.
And the project in Pindstrup is planned to be taken over by an institutional investor, such as a pension fund, when it is completed. The project is expected to be completed several years in the future.
Alexander Thygesen cannot yet put an exact investment amount on the new rate, however he calls it “a relatively large sum” under Kartago auspices.
Since 1988, the Group has offered 150 real estate projects for more than DKK 9 billion. Carthage is owned by the chairman of the board Hans Thygesen and his two sons Alexander and Kristoffer.