Building a better future

According to a report from market research center ASM, up to six million people live in substandard conditions, with too little space, a lack of sewerage, or bad technical conditions. The number of people per flat in Poland is 2.84, one of the highest in Europe. To solve the problem, around two  million new flats are necessary, but only 80,000 a year are actually being built.

Some companies seek to help the situation through the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR). An NGO organization, Habitat for Humanity, offers a program called Architects of Hope (Architekci Nadziei), which enables poorer people to build their own houses. In addition, companies taking part in the project send their employees to help with construction as part of their team-building strategies. "Playing paint-ball together is fun, but helping somebody is twice as much fun," said Coen Potters from Whirlpool, at a recent conference organized by the Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan to highlight CSR. 

Another example is the Darzybór community housing project, which is being built in Poznań by the Barka foundation. The project is using the experience of community building in Liverpool. "Last year, we completed 32 apartments," says Grzegorz Wojtanowski, who represents the foundation. "We received help from architectural studios and construction-equipment companies."

Obviously, NGO programs offer only a tiny part of the solution for a difficult situation, but the Minister of Construction is optimistic. "A new bill being prepared this year will support building new apartments," he said during the PKPP Lewiatan conference.