Lack of housing makes decisions about having a child difficult. Poles want changes in housing policy
In 2026, sales of new apartments are expected to increase by 10-15 percent, and those on the secondary market by another 5-10 percent. Reductions in interest rates and the growing availability of mortgage loans will contribute to the revival of demand, but for many Poles their own apartment remains beyond financial reach. Despite this, seven out of 10 respondents still believe that ownership gives a sense of security, and renting is treated mainly as a temporary solution. The report “Housing needs and aspirations of Poles” shows that the lack of stable housing affects life choices related to having children.
“Housing needs and aspirations of Poles”
– Our respondents said that despite various negative circumstances, i.e. problems with creditworthiness, the possibility of having an own contribution or other circumstances, they were most in favor of buying apartments. However, the lease was always treated as a temporary form – says Dr. Izabela Rudzka, a housing expert from the Warsaw School of Economics, to the Newseria agency.
The report “Housing needs and aspirations of Poles”, which was created on the basis of IBRiS research and many years of analyzes of the housing market of the Warsaw School of Economics, shows that 71 percent Poles have title to real estate, and 68 percent are satisfied with their current housing situation. 81 percent people aged 18-29 believe that it is much more difficult to get an apartment today.
The preference for ownership remains stable regardless of age and professional situation. Renting is chosen mainly for economic reasons – lack of own contribution, creditworthiness or high installments – and not as a target model of residence.
89 percent tenants declare that they would prefer to pay off a mortgage loan rather than rent if the installment was equal to the rent. Young Poles are also afraid that in retirement they will not be able to afford to pay the rent if they do not get their own apartment.
Demography and housing problems
– If we say that throughout Europe we are struggling with an increasing problem of the lack of offspring, our fertility rate is falling dramatically, also in Poland, then every politician should consider to what extent the policies he represents could result in an increase in the number of children. So that we do not have a situation in which young people wonder whether if they leave, they will be able to organize their lives better in order to have children – emphasizes Dr. Izabela Rudzka. – If there is instability in any policy, various types of anomalies arise, i.e. stopping, looking for alternatives, opportunities to wait out the situation.
The housing problem is increasingly reflected in long-term decisions, not only in short-term life strategies. IBRiS research shows that 69 percent respondents consider the lack of housing as a factor that makes the decision to have a child difficult, and 76 percent links the availability of housing with the emigration of young people. At the same time, about 1/3 of people aged 25-34 live with their parents, which increasingly applies to working and financially independent people, and not only to those in education or at the early stage of their career.
– Adults living with their parents, the so-called nesting, is a problem that is growing not only in Poland, but also in Europe. It is directly related to the availability of apartments, both those for rent in terms of price and the possibility of purchasing your own apartments – emphasizes Marcin Duma from the Institute of Market and Social Research IBRiS. – If we do not somehow solve these housing problems, both on the rental and purchase side, they will continue to escalate.
Housing prices are the biggest obstacle
IBRiS research indicates that the most serious barriers to access to apartments are high purchase prices (77%), rental costs (43%) and credit conditions – mortgage interest rates (40%) and requirements regarding creditworthiness and own contribution (30%). Respondents also emphasize too few municipal apartments and TBS (19%), job uncertainty (19%) and too few new investments (16%). In total, almost half of the respondents consider the availability of apartments to be bad. Only 6 percent positively assesses the government's actions in this area, and one in four believes that currently no social group is actually supported in access to housing.
– The biggest demand barrier on the housing market at the moment is the ability to finance the purchase of an apartment. The availability of apartments that potential buyers would like to buy is high, both on the developer market and on the secondary market. What is decisive is what happens with the possibility of financing the purchase, says Katarzyna Kuniewicz, director of market research at Otodom. – Therefore, the most expected change by buyers at the moment is further reductions in interest rates and inflation remaining within the inflation target, preferably at the level we have seen in recent months or lower.
“The purchase barrier is serious”
The expert indicates that the market is in a state of supply and demand balance, which, however, does not translate into stopping price increases, especially in the largest agglomerations. In Warsaw, the average apartment offered costs PLN 950,000. PLN, while in Łódź it is not more expensive than PLN 600,000. zloty. Despite higher salaries, the capital remains the market with the lowest housing availability.
– To assess whether the purchase barrier is serious, we do not need only the prices of apartments, because wages are also important. For several months now, we have had some stabilization in the relationship between income and apartment prices, but the bad news is that in almost all cities it takes seven, eight, or even 10 years to buy an average apartment – emphasizes Katarzyna Kuniewicz. – The best situation today is in Katowice, Łódź and Wrocław, and the worst in Warsaw and Gdańsk, where the market is still ruled by those who offer apartments and prices are very high. For the average salary in the capital, you can currently buy about 0.6 sq m. apartments offered by developers.
Public opinion polls also show a discrepancy between the topics of media debate and real social concerns.
– The public debate was aroused by the issue of housing investments, while from the statistical point of view of Poles, it is important not to have two or three apartments, but to secure one's basic housing need in the form of one target apartment – says Marcin Duma.
Poles expect the state to have an active, targeted housing policy. The greatest support concerns support in purchasing the first apartment, as well as activities facilitating the entry into the market for young people and families. Some respondents also support the construction of apartments for rent by the state.
