Lutisbach children's home looks to rent flats externally

The Lutisbach children’s and young people’s home currently houses some 20 children and young people, not just from the canton of Zug, It is primarily equipped for those between the ages of 5 and 16. Now the home is looking to rent two flats externally, preferably in Oberägeri, too, to house six young people between the ages of 16 and 21, those who, according to the regulations, are too old to live in the home, though it is hoped that housing them away from it will enable them to live a more independent life, too.
 
“At present we have four young people doing apprenticeships,” explained Micha Portmann, who is responsible for the home. He went on to say how, for some time now, young people have been increasingly asking if they might be housed somewhere away from the home. Hence this current project, known as “Room 4 You”.
 
It is since requests for this other type of accommodation have been expressed, since around 2011 in fact, that the home has been subject to organisational change, run now according to the rules of the Inter-cantonal Agreement for Social Institutions, which would also apply in the new flats.
 
Earlier this year, Portmann and his team at the Lutisbach home spent months working out how to go about this project, the board of the foundation which governs the home duly giving its approval to them all in September. At present, the main preoccupations are raising sufficient finance and the actual search for two 4-5-room flats, preferably in Oberägeri, as mentioned.
 
As to the funding, a one-off sum of CHF 45,000 is needed. It is hoped CHF 25,000 of this will come from donations, with the rest raised through crowdfunding, if this works out. Indeed, to this end a “Wemakeit” (we make it) internet platform has been set up.
 
As Portmann, who has been the warden of the home for two years now, explained, if sufficient financing through this scheme is not forthcoming, they are not giving up on the project; it just means that more time will be needed.