Poland

Poland’s housing crisis is being addressed by a diverse coalition of voices from civil society, academia, and the nonprofit sector. NGOs like Habitat for Humanity Poland, which has directly assisted over 1,500 families since 1992, not only provide renovation and new construction but also advocate for policy changes, such as introducing a property tax and diversifying housing options beyond the private market. Their leadership consistently emphasizes that housing is the foundation for a better life and calls for more innovative, municipality-led solutions.

The Housing First Poland Foundation (Fundacja Najpierw Mieszkanie Polska) focuses on ending homelessness by providing stable housing as a human right, with tailored support for the most vulnerable. They are active in European advocacy networks and have shaped local Housing First programs in Warsaw, Wrocław, and Gdańsk, working closely with municipal partners and NGOs.

From academia, expect engagement from experts analyzing systemic barriers—such as how Social Rental Agencies, though legal, remain underutilized by most cities despite the clear need. Real estate voices, especially institutional rental providers (PRS funds), are expanding modern, flexible rental housing in major cities, though their focus is profitability as well as social impact.

For collaboration, key partners include: Habitat for Humanity Poland for grassroots projects and policy advocacy; the Housing First Poland Foundation for tackling homelessness; municipal housing offices for direct program implementation; and academic researchers for data-driven insights into regulatory and market failures. While the government’s “Klucz do Mieszkania” program is the main policy driver, supplementing it with NGO-driven innovation, academic research, and responsible private sector development will be essential for a truly effective, affordable, and sustainable housing response.

Poland faces a serious and persistent housing crisis characterized by a significant supply deficit, affordability gaps, and high rates of overcrowding. The country's housing shortage is estimated at roughly 1.5 to 2 million units, even as construction activity remains robust and new housing starts increased over 20 percent in 2024. Nevertheless, completions have lagged due to past slowdowns, and supply cannot keep pace with urban demand.

Rising prices further worsen the situation. Since 2015, prices on the primary market have surged by about 50 percent, while rents are up 60 percent, largely influenced by inflation, decreased mortgage accessibility, and increased demand from arrivals such as refugees. Mortgage costs are among the highest in Europe. Over 90 percent of Polish households see housing costs as a major financial burden, and about one third of the population lives in overcrowded conditions—one of the highest such rates in the EU. There is also a severe shortage of quality, affordable rental options, with almost a third of the population struggling in the so-called rent gap: ineligible for public housing but unable to afford market rent or a mortgage.

The groups most affected include low- and middle-income families, young adults, seniors, urban migrants, and refugees. Rural residents face additional challenges of lower housing standards and limited new development. More than 100,000 people are on waiting lists for public or social housing each year, reflecting the acute impact on Poland's most vulnerable populations.

Poland's housing market in late 2025 is marked by stabilizing prices after sharp growth, with high ownership rates and continued affordability pressures. Around 87.1 percent of Poles own their homes, while just 12.9 percent rent, reflecting cultural and historic preferences for ownership. The median price to buy an apartment is roughly 3,463 euros per square meter in the largest cities, with higher figures in central Warsaw, and the median long-term rent is about 11 euros per square meter per month nationwide. Rents and purchase prices have risen but growth is now moderate, as sales have slowed due to persistent high mortgage rates and market uncertainty.

Publicly owned housing—covering both council (municipal) and social housing—remains a small part of the market. State and municipal housing together comprise less than 6 percent of the overall housing stock. Social housing in Poland specifically denotes dwellings reserved for low-income or vulnerable groups, often at especially low, regulated rents and sometimes with lower standards. Council housing, while also publicly owned, generally serves a broader group and charges higher rents than social housing. These categories are not synonymous in Polish cities: all social housing is public, but not all public housing qualifies as social housing, as the latter targets stricter social needs.

Recent government initiatives plan to boost investment in both municipal and social housing, aiming to gradually expand public sector share and address shortages, but private ownership and private rental will remain dominant in the foreseeable future.

Poland’s national government is prioritizing affordable and sustainable housing through a comprehensive new program called "Key to Housing" (Klucz do Mieszkania). This initiative focuses on three main pillars: municipal housing, social housing, and making homeownership more accessible via a "First Keys" scheme. In 2025, the government committed at least 2.5 billion zloty (about 596 million euros) to support these goals, with annual funding planned to rise to 2 billion euros by 2030.

The main targets for the housing sector include delivering 15,000 new municipal and social housing units in 2025, with a future aim of 40,000 per year by 2030. Local authorities can access subsidies that cover up to 80% of construction or renovation costs for new public housing. The government also promotes sustainable student housing by subsidizing the majority of dormitory construction or renovation costs, capping student rents.

The "First Keys" initiative supports first-time buyers on the secondary market with price caps and restrictions to ensure the program benefits genuine new homeowners and avoids speculative reselling. Importantly, no state subsidies from these programs go to private real estate developers. The new housing policies also include legal reforms giving municipalities greater control over spatial planning to encourage more sustainable, well-located development and tighter standards for new residential projects.

In the local language (Polish): Polski rząd realizuje “Klucz do Mieszkania” z naciskiem na mieszkania komunalne, społeczne i pomoc w zakupie pierwszego lokalu z programem „Pierwsze Klucze”, przeznaczając 2,5 mld zł w 2025 r. i wzrastającą pulą do 10 mld zł rocznie do 2030 r. Gminy otrzymują subsydia na budowę i renowację mieszkań społecznych oraz komunalnych, a inicjatywy dotyczą także wsparcia dla studentów i wzmocnienia planowania przestrzennego w miastach.

Housing cooperatives in Poland play a modest but persistent role in the country’s housing sector, with about 100,000 to 111,000 cooperative residential communities managing a stock exceeding four million dwellings. However, cooperatives’ share of the national housing stock has declined over decades due to ownership transformations, privatization, and the rise of developer activity. Today, cooperative housing is a minor segment compared to the dominant owner-occupied and privately-rented units, and its share is considerably below that of family ownership.

The sector has recently shown slow development, with new cooperative units forming mainly through legal conversion of older buildings or targeted new developments. Government statistics confirm that in the first two months of 2025, only about 145 new cooperative dwellings were completed nationwide, a tiny fraction of overall production.

Recent national policy does not place special emphasis on cooperative housing. Most state support targets communal (municipal) and social rental housing. Legal reforms related to cooperatives focus more on general governance and property management rather than sectoral expansion. Cooperative housing is not a primary beneficiary of major programs such as "Key to Housing" or "First Keys," which prioritize public and affordable home ownership schemes instead. Overall, cooperatives remain a niche form of collective ownership in Poland, mostly representing legacy stock with limited new activity.