Fewer houses being built; more young newlyweds moving in with the folks

Poland's construction sector still seems to be headed southward as the year 2000 saw just 237,468 building permits issued, or 21.1% fewer than in the previous year, according to data collected by the state's construction supervisory entity. The economy's more modest GDP and exorbitantly high interest rates are seen as the main culprits behind the domestic building industry's depressed state. As a consequence, the country lacks as many as 1.5 million apartments. More and more newlyweds are moving in with their parents, leading to overcrowding and more congested living conditions, a trend that is thought will continue as numbers of younger generations continue to grow. Thus by the year 2005, say analysts, another one million apartments will be needed. Some 10 million Poles currently live in apartments and houses of extremely low living standards. (Rzeczpospolita, p.Feb. 10-11, p.B2; Prawo i Gospodarka, Feb. 10-11, pp. 1,3,4)