Poland

Context at a glance

Young girl leans on the window frame of her dilapidated apartment building in Wroclaw

Poland joined the European Union in 2004 but, as a former member of the Eastern Bloc, Poland has to deal with the legacy left by communist economic and social policies. Despite many government reforms, overcrowded and damp housing without proper sanitation is still the reality for too many of Poland’s low-income working families. These families are often forgotten behind the walls of aging Soviet-style apartment blocks.

The Economic Housing Institute research indicates that almost one in four apartments in Poland should be condemned. Poland needs more than 1.5 million affordable apartments just to meet current demand. Of the existing housing stock, approximately one in eight do not have a kitchen. Almost 1 in 10 share a toilet with an entire floor of apartments or have no indoor facility at all. With a severe shortage of affordable housing, low-income families often have no choice but to live in substandard housing that threatens their health and safety.

Habitat for Humanity programme

Habitat for Humanity’s work in Poland started in 1992 in the town of Gliwice. Since that time, community groups or affiliates have started in Poznań, Gdynia, Wrocław, the capital city of Warsaw, and Gdańsk.

Most of these community groups are located in urban areas, which means high land and construction costs. Habitat for Humanity therefore builds multi-family units to maximise cost effectiveness. These buildings are constructed to withstand Poland’s harsh winters, while allowing plenty of sun and fresh air in spring and summer. The buildings have wooden roofs and cement foundations. The walls are made of lightweight cellular blocks chosen because they provide good thermal insulation, a solid structure and easy handling.

HFH Poland creates apartments or housing units of varying sizes. Currently, the number of apartments in one building varies from 4 to 12. The average size of an apartment for a family of four is approximately 52 square metres. Families have 20 years to pay off their no-interest loan, through monthly mortgage payments equivalent to roughly £76. This amount is much less than the cost of bank loans currently available in Poland – and bank loans are very rare!

In addition to the simple, decent and healthy housing that these apartments provide, many also share a small garden or play area for the children, creating a strong sense of community among the homeowners.

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