Social Housing Projects
Habitat for Humanity Poland
Habitat for Humanity Overview
• Habitat for Humanity is a Christian, non-profit, housing agency that seeks to
eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make
decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
• Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds
and rehabilitates simple, decent and affordable houses in partnership with lowincome families and vulnerable groups like single mothers, orphans, elderly,
people with disabilities, homeless and individuals undergoing therapies.
• Operating in 80 countries
• Served more than 3 million people in 100 countries through housing projects
• Mobilizing over 10,000 international volunteers (Global Village) annually to
provide help and to bring hope to people in need of housing.
Habitat for Humanity Poland
• HFH Poland was founded in 1992, as the
first Habitat presence in Europe.
• We operate through a national office in
Warsaw and an affiliated organisation in
Gliwice.
• We respond to poverty housing through a
number of activities, including
construction of new housing, renovations
of apartments and institutions, advocacy
and micro-loan programs.
• So far we have created 112 housing units
& helped more than 750 families in
Poland.
Housing in Poland
Poland has a population of 38.4 million.
For most housing statistics, Poland scores among the worst of the EU countries:
• 30% of Poles live in overcrowded spaces (>2 persons per room)
• 6.5 million Poles live in substandard conditions
• 3.2 million adults share homes with siblings or parents
• Only 100,000 new units are being built per year (only 3% by municipalities ) –
1.5 million new affordable units are needed; meanwhile older buildings
deteriorate.
• Waiting lists for families in need of social housing extend 3-7 years in
metropolitan areas, and up to 15 years in smaller towns.
The Problem
• The number of rental flats in Poland (municipal, communal, and in resources of
social housing associations) is highly insufficient in relation to the need. It is
estimated that about 60% of young people with unmet housing needs have an
income which does not allow for the purchase of a flat and should be served by
the social housing sector, at least at the beginning of their housing careers.
• Municipalities are not financially supported by the state in the development of
social housing programs.
• Lack of a consistent national policy on housing causes a need to provide more
flats for social rent from municipal resources for a growing number of people.
• Therefore, it is necessary to build local partnerships consisting of nongovernmental organizations, local donors and local governments to join forces
and urgently improve condition of existing municipal housing units as well as to
look for new possibilities or financial solutions for such initiatives.
The Solution
• Habitat for Humanity Poland builds cros-sectoral local partnerships where
municipalities, business donors, corporate volunteers and local community are
important partners;
• The renovation and thermo-insulation projects targeting the tenants of social flats
are constructed in a way to both become a model solution to improve alarming
living conditions of the social housing tenants and to trigger activity of local
municipalities in this respect;
• Within the framework of its Advocacy Programme, Habitat builds a coalition of
experts and launch national campaigns to impact policy changes to improve the
living conditions of large numbers of people. The advocacy campaign draws
examples from model solutions that are demonstrated through Habitat projects;
• Habitat Poland is poised to be a source of information and expertise to
government policy makers. In November 2013, HFH Poland releases an updated
study of Poland’s demographic situation as it relates to housing.
Building Adaptation for Hostel and Social
Housing for Families in Crisis
Project Goals: Creating housing units (18 flats) for families in need of emergency
shelter (single mothers, homeless and evicted persons) and former
patients of MONAR rehab centre. Providing decent housing conditions
– responding to family crises, and supporting the beneficiaries on their
path towards social reintegration and securing employment.
Solution:
Adaptation of old office building – converting office space into houisng
units – providing temporary social housing
Location:
Poland, Wyszków (57 km from Warsaw), Komunalna 10
Period:
May 2013 – June 2014 (14 months)
Partners:
Habitat for Humanity Poland
MONAR Centre – MONAR Wyszków
Municipality of Wyszków Community,
Wyszków Social Housing Association,
Social Welfare Centre in Wyszków
Project Budget:
396,000 PLN (ca. 94,000 EUR)
The Project Partners’ Roles
Habitat for Humanity Poland
• Providing financial support in the form of a non-profit loan for the purchase of windows,
tools, construction materials and furnishing. Providing technical support and know-how.
• Providing volunteer workers from corporate partners. Supervised by construction
specialists, the volunteers help in the adaptation and renovation works.
• Promoting the project , approaching Donors within the construction industry.
MONAR-Wyszków Rehabilitation Centre
• Selecting beneficiaries
• Providing labour (future residents provide regular work contribution during the
renovation as part of their social reintegration efforts) and playing role of local leader for
social housing project implementation
Wyszków Housing Association
• Providing financial and technical support throughout the project
Wyszków Municipal Authorities and Social Welfare Centre
•Providing partial financial contribution (for roof repair), offering empty building for rent
& adaptation for housing purposes, technical supervision of works
Thermo-insulation of older buildings
Project Aim:
Improvement of living conditions for 44 families, residents of social flats in
two buildings located in Targówek Fabryczny in Warsaw.
Phase One - applying waterproof layer and vertical insulation on
buildings’ foundations.
Phase Two - thermo insulation of the exterior walls of the buildings will be
applied by the municipality.
Volunteers:
47 corporate volunteers were involved in Phase One; they helped with
ground work (digging, cleaning foundations), and will also help to create a
small playground for the children (in spring)
Project Location:
Poland, Warsaw, Targówek district, Naczelnikowska 50/ Birżańska 2a Street
Project Duration:
May 2013 – November 2013 (7 months)
Partners :
Habitat for Humanity Poland Foundation, Procter & Gamble Polska,
Municipality of Targówek and Committe of Targówek Inhabitants
Project cost:
Phase One - 150.000 PLN
Phase Two - 400.000 PLN
Thermo-insulation of older buildings
• Since 2006, Habitat for Humanity Poland runs an Energy Efficiency Programme for
Housing Associations and Condominiums in Poland. The experience shows, that the
most deteriorated and underinvested buildings are the municipal ones.
• A new global partnership of Procter & Gamble with Habitat for Humanity launched in
2013, created an opportunity to apply for financial support for the project of energy
efficiency improvement that will significantly improve the housing conditions of poor
families living in social flats in the two buildings, neighbouring the P&G plant.
• To make the thermo-insulation efficient, a complex approach is necessary: thermal
insulation of the external walls and waterproof insulation of the foundations. The
foundation work planned by HFH Poland, supported by P&G volunteers, triggered
action on the side of municipal authorities to fund insulation of the walls.
• A coalition of local partners appeared: Procter & Gamble Company, Habitat for
Humanity Poland, municipal authorities and a local Committee of Residents.
Building Social Flats
in Partnership with Municipalities
Project Goals: Seeking for efficient and scalable model intervention to enlarge housing
stock available for social rent for low-income families from the
municipal waiting lists.
Solution:
On the land offered by municipalities, minimum 3 terraced houses of 6
flats each will be built, using low-cost & energy efficient technology
(pre-fabricated elements, 9-week construction process).
Location:
Poland: Wyszków, Zielonka, Kobyłka
Period:
May 2014 – December 2015
Partners:
Habitat for Humanity Poland
Municipality of Wyszków Community,
Municipality of Zielonka
Municipality of Kobylka
Help build it!
CONTACT DETAILS
Margo Salamon
National Director
mobile: +48 697 979 902
msalamon@habitat.pl
Magdalena Ruszkowska-Cieślak
Programme Manager
mobile: +48 697 979 901
mruszkowska@habitat.pl
Fundacja HFH Poland
ul. Mokotowska 55 lok. 51
00-542 Warsaw, Poland
tel/fax: (+48) 22 642 57 42
www.habitat.pl
https://www.facebook.com/HabitatPL