THE INNOVATIVE TOOL FOR SOCIAL HOUSING PROVISION AND MANAGEMENT IN POLAND – SOCIAL RENTAL AGENCIES
THE INNOVATIVE TOOL FOR SOCIAL HOUSING PROVISION AND MANAGEMENT IN POLAND – SOCIAL RENTAL AGENCIES

Summary/Abstract: Although there is a heated debate on the shortage of social housing in Poland, littlehas been done to mitigate the problem and counterbalance market inequalities. The aim of thepaper is to explore the novel tool within social housing policy and management aimed at makingaccess to cheap rental housing easier, i.e. social rental agencies (SRAs) acting as intermediariesbetween private landlords and vulnerable households. The paper is theory and literature-based.It outlines and researches the concept and features of SRAs as introduced by other Europeancountries. The main research question is to find out whether these institutions should beemployed in the process of improving the existing social housing system in Poland. In order tomeet the principal objective of the paper, the author: 1) reviews recent housing situation inPoland affecting the need for affordable housing provision, 2) presents definitions of SRAs andprovide an overview of their functioning, and 3) makes an attempt to evaluate the possibility touse the tool to expand the existing social housing stock. Although the institutions have longbeen recognized in many European countries, in Poland SRAs are practically unknown. Only afew non-profit and small-scale initiatives based on SRA model have been observed so far.However, due to the recent promotion of the tool by a non-profit organization Habitat forHumanity, the scale of existing programmes has gained potential to be expanded. As a resultSRAs can offer a relatively low-cost solution to address housing needs and enlarge the stock ofsocial housing

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