Housing policy in Poland

1
Housing policy in Poland

• Marek Zawislak
• Ministry of Infrastructure

2
Basic figures

• Housing stock 12.5 million (94 occupied)
• Number of households 13.3 million
• Housing construction output in 2004 2.8
  units/1000 inhabitants

3
Basic figures

• Floor surface 68.2 sq.m. in total stock, 99.3
  sq.m. in newly completed dwellings
• Housing stock by age lt1945 23.1, 1945-1970
  26.9 1971-1988 37 gt1988 12,9

4
Basic figures

• Tenures 75 owner-occupied
• Affordable rental housing 23 of occupied
  dwellings
• Municipal housing 10,5 of total housing stock
• Social housing 2.8 of municipal housing stock

5
Strategic perspective

• draft Strategy for the development of the housing
  sector 2005 2025
• Housing policy actions in draft National
  Development Plan 2007 - 2013

6
Strategic assessment

• Quantitative deficits non-voluntary
  cohabitation, rental housing, social housing
• Qualitative deficits density, floor surfaces,
  technical condition, energy efficiency, utilities
  in dwellings, facilities for the disabled and the
  elderly
• Policy deficits strategic approach in communes
  and regions

7
Link to national development policy and regional
policy

• Insufficient supply of affordable housing
  barrier to labour mobility and urbanisation
• Housing conditions important from human
  development perspective
• Restructuring of urban areas

8
Favourable environment

• Demographic stabilization
• Macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth
  (reinforced by EU accession)
• Relatively well-developed institutional framework

9
Strategic objective

• Poland should reach the present housing standard
  average of EU 25 by the year 2025

10
Detailed strategic objectives

• No non-voluntary cohabitation
• Approaching European floor surface standards
• Fully equipped houses in good technical condition

11
Strategic objective from the perspective of
national developement

• Harmonization of the housing and labour market
  for securing social, economic and spatial
  cohesion at regional and national level through
• Creating sufficient supply of affordable rental
  housing
• Getting rid of barriers blocking housing mobility
• Lower investment cost and availability of housing
  finance

12
Six priorities

• Friendly legal and institutional framework
• Housing mobility
• Improving quality and technical condition
• Promotion of home-ownership
• Housing for the elderly and the disabled
• Preventing social exclusion

13
Energy saving measures envisaged in the Strategy

• Supporting renovation of the housing stock
• Enhancing access to housing finance by
  condominiums
• Friendly tax arrangements
• Energy labelling of residential buildings
• Energy efficiency inspections of buildings
• Sustainable building principles in public
  procurement

14
Energy efficiency facts

• Age of housing lt1945 23.1, 1945-1970 26.9
  1971-1988 37 gt1988 12,9
• Dwellings in multi-family buildings 63.1 in
  high-rise buildings 38.9
• Large prefabricated panels are used in 34 of
  housing stock
• 25 of stock needs comprehensive retrofitting
  (energy consumption 300-400 kWh/m2)
• Central heating in 77.8 of occupied dwellings,
  51 of which connected to district heating
• 80 of household housing expenses is utilities
  including energy (not much left for maintenance
  and repairs)

15
Existing measures

• retrofitting grants
• PIT relieves
• reduced VAT
• Energy-efficiency condition for obtaining
  public support for affordable/social housing
• environmental protection funds

16
Retrofitting grants

• insulation, modernising heating systems,
  renewable energy projects, connecting to district
  heating
• residential buildings, public buildings (schools,
  kindergartens, etc.)
• individuals, municipalities, housing
  cooperatives, other owners

17
Retrofitting grants

• 25 of loan principal covered by budget subsidy
• subsidy granted if ex-ante evaluation (audit) is
  favourable
• energy saved condition
• economically efficient projects
• grant will be paid after project is completed

18
Retrofitting grants programme in years 1999-2004
 
19
Problem issues

• Retrofitting Fund relies solely on the state
  budget allocations barrier for programme
  expansion
• Bank loans the only eligible source of
  investment capital

20
Renovation expenses tax deductible

• Personal income tax payers (natural persons)
• 19 of expenses
• 3-year limit 2.5 to 3.5 of average
  construction cost of 70 sq.m.
• eligible expenses goods and services enumerated
  in the law (supplied by VAT payers), payments to
  renovation fund

21
Reduced VAT rate

• basic VAT rate 22
• renovation works reduced rate 7
• building materials pricipally basic rate, but
  when supplied as part of a building/renovation
  service 7 is charged (typical example replacing
  windows)