Poland

Country facts:

Capital city – Warsaw
Population – 38 million
Life expectancy – 79 years
Unemployment rate – 3.37%
Below poverty line – 15.4%

Find more country facts on: CIA The World Factbook – Poland

Habitat Facts

Habitat started in Poland in 1992.

•Individuals served in FY2022 – 3,360

Through incremental construction – 465
Through rehab – 65
Through repairs – 40
Through market development – 2,790

•Volunteers engaged in FY2022 – 286

The housing need in Poland

Poland lacks about 1.5 million affordable homes. About 14% of Poles live in substandard conditions. Out of this figure, 35.7%, or 13.5 million people, live in overcrowded conditions.

Among those between 15 and 29 years old, the overcrowding rate reaches 48.5%. Poland builds too few housing units, while the rent market accounts for only 4% of the total housing stock.

Historically, the housing sector has been neglected in Poland, especially for low-income families. The number of apartments built annually has not improved the situation. Poland has 407 apartments for every 1,000 inhabitants, one of the lowest rates in the European Union.

How Habitat addresses the need

Innovative housing solutions
Habitat for Humanity Poland designs innovative solutions to respond to the housing problems. We also facilitate the repurposing of empty spaces, bringing together various stakeholders to increase the affordable housing stock in Poland.

Constructions and renovations
We support families facing challenges in accessing decent housing as well as organizations supporting vulnerable people, such as homeless shelters, centers for people affected by violence, nursing homes for people with disability and. Since 2022, we have also started supporting people who have fled the Russia-Ukraine war to access affordable and dignified short- and long-term shelter in Poland.

Advocacy and education
We increase public awareness of housing problems and advocate for the improvement of housing policies. Currently, Habitat Poland is advocating for legislative changes to increase access to social rental housing. We promote replicable and scalable housing solutions to maximize the impact and build resilience.

Volunteering

Every year, Habitat Poland mobilizes corporate and individual volunteers who renovate houses with the families as well as share their expertise.

What you can do

DONATE

Please donate via habitat.org/donate/poland or visit habitat.org/donate and select “Designate your donation” to donate to Habitat Poland.

VOLUNTEER

The Global Village program is resuming region by region until a safe and quality experience can be provided at scale worldwide. Please visit habitat.org/gv for more information.

TITHE

Habitat affiliates in the U.S. support the international work through an annual tithe. For additional information, email [email protected] or contact your local Habitat organization.