The development industry is responsible for 98 percent of apartments in multi-family buildings. However, it is not able to meet all social needs in terms of housing. High interest rates deprive many Poles of the ability to take out mortgage loans to buy their dream apartment. Some people simply cannot afford to buy their own home. Housing investments by local authorities and social housing associations are a complete margin in Poland, a fact confirmed by GUS data. According to these, construction of nearly 3.5 thousand social rent apartments (out of 114.5 thousand constructions started by developers) started in 2023. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the non-commercial sector for the housing needs of low-income individuals.
– “The share of social housing in the housing market is too low, which results from the lack of a long-term housing policy. That’s why we want to share our knowledge and experience to accelerate the construction of TBS and communal flats,” says Bartosz Guss, the general director of the Polish Association of Development Companies. He adds, -“This, however, requires real actions by politicians in parliament, not just declarations on social media. Declarations alone will not increase housing for the most needy.”
A negative example of the government’s lack of action is the halted work on social housing support. Currently, the state budget provides subsidies of up to 1 billion zlotys, which allows for the construction of around 4.5 to 5 thousand apartments, while local authorities already have applications for over 13 thousand apartments. There is an amending bill prepared, which plans to increase the subsidy limit to a maximum of 5 billion zlotys, opening the possibility of including a higher sum than 1 billion in the state budget for 2025 and in the following years.
– “That’s why it is necessary to adopt the amendment as soon as possible, because without increasing the limit, it will not be possible to increase the scale of TBS construction or to realize the already submitted applications,” emphasizes Bartosz Guss.
Without changes in regulations, we will also lose 150 million euros from the National Recovery Plan, which includes investments in energy-efficient buildings for low and middle-income households.
The amendment restores the rights of local governments to determine parking norms in housing investments carried out as part of the so-called special housing law. Thanks to the change, consistency will be maintained with the standard planning procedures (today, the local government determines parking indicators in local plans or by building conditions, depending on needs).
The amendment to the law on social forms of housing development, which assumes introducing indicated changes, is ready for implementation and awaits the approval of the Council of Ministers and referral to the Sejm.
– “Despite being subjected to social consultations and being ready for adoption by the government for months, its enactment is blocked due to disputes within the coalition regarding a package of housing laws. We believe that other issues, such as mortgage subsidies, should not delay this key step in the development of Social Housing Companies,” emphasizes Bartosz Guss.
However, we cannot stop there. For the development of social housing at an appropriate pace, it is necessary to simplify administrative procedures and to remove formal barriers. It is worth emphasizing that entities engaged in social housing, much like the private sector, operate within the same investment procedures and suffer the same consequences of protraction. Therefore, actions that streamline administrative processes will allow both local governments, the National Property Stock, and private builders to more effectively plan and implement investments, significantly reducing their development time. Without a package of facilities in planning and construction regulations, local governments and National Property Stock will not increase the dynamics of social housing construction, despite increasing the limit.
We also believe that the development sector can significantly support the development of social housing by sharing its experience, knowledge, and proven solutions in the area of design, implementation, and investment management. It is worth considering the preparation of joint projects which would link development investments with social housing. Such projects would allow for better use of resources and the creation of comprehensive and balanced estates that include not only housing investments but also accompanying infrastructure, such as educational institutions or recreational areas.
– “We are ready to cooperate in the creation of a housing policy, dialogue with all stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Development and Technology, the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, the National Resource of Real Estate, the National Economy Bank, the Union of Metropolises and the Association of Polish Cities. We call for concrete actions. The PZFD is ready to work with architects, urban planners, and engineers. Let’s move from words to deeds. Let’s start by sending the bill to the Sejm and create a platform for substantive dialogue under the auspices of MRiT,” emphasizes the General Director of the PZFD.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/deweloperzy-apeluja-budownictwo-spoleczne-potrzebuje-natychmiastowych-reform-11262
