Living in satisfactory housing conditions (warunki mieszkaniowe) is one of the most important aspects of people’s lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter (schronisko), but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy (prywatność) and personal space (przestrzeń osobista); somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house (budynek) a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs (koszty mieszkaniowe)  take up a large share of the household budget (budżet gospodarstwa domowego) and represent the largest single expenditure (wydatek) for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent (or loan repayments for those buying their own home), gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs In Poland, households on average spend 24% of their net disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. In Poland, 84% of people say they are satisfied with their current housing situation.

The number of rooms in a dwelling (mieszkanie), divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and the development of children. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Poland, the average home contains one room per person. In terms of basic facilities, an estimated 95.9% of people in Poland live in dwellings with private access to indoor flushing toilets.

Housing is a major social issue affecting every urban area in Poland. There is a shortage of housing ranging between 1.5 million and 1.8 million dwellings. The quality of existing housing is also a subject of concern: half of the housing stock was built before 1970 and there is an urgent need to develop and renovate it.

Demographic changes (zmiany demograficzne) such as urban migration, ageing and smaller-sized households have strongly increased demand for individual housing while increase in supply has been slower. Lack of urban planning and little land availability, combined with a lack of funds and relevant powers to intervene at municipal level, have aggravated the situation.

The rental market is very small, and developing it further would be one way of stimulating a private sector response. The government recently lifted rent restrictions and lowered the tax rate on rental income, which is a step in the right direction.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)