Wave of refugees straining Poland's housing market to breaking point amidst high rental rates and skyrocketing inflation
By James Jackson • Updated: 08/06/2022
When refugees began pouring out of Ukraine, neighbouring Poland was overwhelmingly supportive, opening its door and hearts to those fleeing war.
Volunteers from across the country mobilised to provide emergency shelter, helping to ease overcrowding at border camps.
But more than three months since Russia's invasion, strains are beginning to show.
The influx of an estimated 2.4 million refugees wanting temporary accommodation and a rise in interest rates have sparked fears of housing shortages.
The interest rate hike means it's harder for young Poles to secure mortgage credit and get on the housing ladder.
That has put more pressure on the rental market, already under pressure from the Ukrainian refugees arriving since 24 February.
Social activist Jarmiła Rybicka said the situation for Ukrainians was “really tragic.”
“The flats on the market that do not disappear immediately almost always refuse to accept Ukrainians," she told Euronews.
"I myself often call to ask about offers on their behalf, because an accent makes some landlords hang up the phone.
Housing in Poland was in a dire state even before Russia invaded Ukraine, tenancy lawyer Beata Siemieniako told Euronews.
The country was already one of the most overcrowded in the European Union, with almost 50% of young people living in overcrowded households, homeownership stagnating for the past decade and the country was lacking more than two million dwellings, according to a 2019 study.
"The stock of public housing is a tiny fraction of what other European capitals offer," said Siemieniako. "Demand has pushed up rental prices to the maximum levels known so far.”
Now, major cities are now full to the brim, with the Otodom housing portal recording a 166% increase in searches and a 60% drop in offers of housing available for rent. Headlines, meanwhile, warn of a "wave of homelessness".
Poles, worried about a housing crash and desperate to avoid negative equity, are even trying to sell their homes in housing rental groups on Facebook
Opposition lawmaker Adrian Zandberg warned last month “the situation is extraordinary. After the RPP decision [on interest rates], thousands of families are threatened with bankruptcy”.
By James Jackson • Updated: 08/06/2022
When refugees began pouring out of Ukraine, neighbouring Poland was overwhelmingly supportive, opening its door and hearts to those fleeing war.
Volunteers from across the country mobilised to provide emergency shelter, helping to ease overcrowding at border camps.
But more than three months since Russia's invasion, strains are beginning to show.
The influx of an estimated 2.4 million refugees wanting temporary accommodation and a rise in interest rates have sparked fears of housing shortages.
The interest rate hike means it's harder for young Poles to secure mortgage credit and get on the housing ladder.
That has put more pressure on the rental market, already under pressure from the Ukrainian refugees arriving since 24 February.
Social activist Jarmiła Rybicka said the situation for Ukrainians was “really tragic.”
“The flats on the market that do not disappear immediately almost always refuse to accept Ukrainians," she told Euronews.
"I myself often call to ask about offers on their behalf, because an accent makes some landlords hang up the phone.
Housing in Poland was in a dire state even before Russia invaded Ukraine, tenancy lawyer Beata Siemieniako told Euronews.
The country was already one of the most overcrowded in the European Union, with almost 50% of young people living in overcrowded households, homeownership stagnating for the past decade and the country was lacking more than two million dwellings, according to a 2019 study.
"The stock of public housing is a tiny fraction of what other European capitals offer," said Siemieniako. "Demand has pushed up rental prices to the maximum levels known so far.”
Now, major cities are now full to the brim, with the Otodom housing portal recording a 166% increase in searches and a 60% drop in offers of housing available for rent. Headlines, meanwhile, warn of a "wave of homelessness".
Poles, worried about a housing crash and desperate to avoid negative equity, are even trying to sell their homes in housing rental groups on Facebook
Opposition lawmaker Adrian Zandberg warned last month “the situation is extraordinary. After the RPP decision [on interest rates], thousands of families are threatened with bankruptcy”.
