Better housing, better cities, better tomorrow -that was the motto of this year's Housing Forum on November 19. The event, organized by Habitat for Humanity Poland, was also part of the four-day European Housing Forum. The main issues, of course, oscillated around housing - including social housing - which was framed not only by formal EU regulations, but also by examples from city (and municipality) life.
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Dr. Alina Muzioł-Węcławowicz, introducing the debate with the same title as the entire event, drew attention not only to the direct relationship between better housing and a better life, but also to the multitude and variety of factors that make up the comfort of living. These include the standard, area, number of rooms, surroundings, location, availability of services, transportation and green spaces. A thorough improvement of housing conditions is in the interest of the entire globe, because without it we may not survive - we will be destroyed by the next pandemic, and climate change will only narrow the global supply of habitats. However, the housing situation in Poland is improving steadily and from year to year, but, as Muziol-Weclawowicz notes, it is happening very slowly. According to a study by the Central Statistical Office, less than 165,000 apartments were completed in the three quarters of 2021 - 5.2% more than in the same period a year earlier (Housing Construction in January-September 2021). As many as 98% of the new housing units were built by developers and private investors. Other forms of housing, which are most lacking in Poland, including cooperative, communal, and social housing, account for only 2% of the housing completed (3,318). This demonstrates the imbalance between ownership and renting, and thus the need for a long-term, stable housing policy.
From EU regulations to municipal action
Today, when discussing the challenges of housing, it is impossible to ignore the context of the climate crisis. The new EU framework for climate and energy policy until 2030 assumes a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which, according to Izabela Zygmunt of the European Commission Representation in Warsaw, will not be without an impact on the construction and housing sector. One of the strategies to lower energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are renovation and refurbishment activities.
The municipality of Pleszew (Greater Poland Voivodeship), with a population of 30,000, was told about the challenges faced by its mayor, Arkadiusz Ptak. The three biggest problems are depopulation, lack of labor and climate change. The remedy? According to the mayor, it's housing policy. By 2023, 155 new housing units are to be built in a variety of options - rental with the possibility of reaching ownership, but also without, communal and commercial. The recipients of the program are primarily working people under 40 who are in the so-called " rent gap. In order to attract new residents (and employees), some of the apartments are earmarked for people from outside Plesetsk, and a housing requirement will be the need to register in the municipality. The cost of the investment? Just under 50 million zlotys, made up of a financial puzzle composed of funds from the Bank of National Economy, government grants, subsidies, municipal funds and the participation of future tenants. For comparison, the municipal budget is about 150 million zlotys so without obtaining external financing such an investment would be impossible to implement.
sheltered housing
Another type of housing that is often overlooked is protected housing, where shelter can be found for numerous social groups: people with disabilities, in crisis of homelessness, seniors. As Katarzyna Przybylska of the Habitat for Humanity Poland Foundation notes, it is essential to expand the stock of protected housing, ideally with the inclusion of private entities. The number of protected housing units in Poland was 935 (end of 2018: www.gov.pl/web/rodzina).
energy and climate
What changes in housing are needed to improve the quality of life of citizens? According to Izabela Zygmunt, energy and climate are key. Rising energy prices and housing that poisons the environment are the most urgent issues to be addressed. By replacing heat sources it is possible not only to improve energy efficiency, but also cleaner air and eliminate smog. Efforts should be made to reduce energy demand, produce, store and manage it responsibly.
Seniors and foreigners
Arkadiusz Ptak sees challenges among such social groups as senior citizens and foreigners. Among the former, there are three subgroups, which include people trapped on the third or fourth floor of buildings without an elevator, seniors using decapitated housing stock, and people living alone or as a duo in houses built for multi-generational families. So, on the one hand, we are dealing with young people who lack resources and seniors who have these resources, but they are inadequate to their needs or capabilities (financial or health). As Mayor Ptak notes, this is primarily an organizational challenge. The second major issue is foreigners, whose labor we should stop treating in terms of cheap labor, but provide opportunities for stable functioning and living in Poland. A housing policy that takes foreigners into account can be a viable tool for social integration. And in view of the estimated shortage of workers (ranging from 1 to 5 million people, depending on forecasts), a migration policy seems essential.
new solution for municipalities in polish law
In July this year, a law went into effect that gave a legal framework to social rental agencies (SANs). These are intermediary entities between apartment owners and tenants. An important role is played by the municipality, which appoints the SAN or sets criteria for tenants. The SAN manages the lease and selects tenants. The owner receives not only a guarantee of timely paid rent, but also an exemption from the tax associated with the lease of the property. Although it is not a formal requirement, the landlord is expected to reduce the rent so that it is below market rates. In this way, people in a more difficult life situation who cannot afford to rent at market rates can find a roof over their heads.
SAN in Habitat
The Habitat for Humanity Poland Foundation has been paving the way for social renting in Poland for several years now. In 2017-2019, it ran the HomeLab pilot program, and as of 2019, SAN became a program of Polish Habitat (now the Social Tenancy Program). As of 2018, 216 people (90 families) have benefited from the program. The Foundation has acquired 14 units from the City of Warsaw, where the project is being implemented. However, the increase in private housing units acquired for the program - from one unit in 2018 to twenty-eight three years later - is cause for optimism. Who benefits from the Social Rental Program? Nearly a third are single parents, and 36% of residents are children. As the example of the social rental agency run by the Polish Habitat for Humanity Foundation shows - the program helps people in difficult life situations get back on their feet by providing an accessible roof over their heads. And now, thanks to new legislation, municipalities across Poland will be able to follow in Habitat's footsteps and apply an additional tool for their own housing policies.
