In Łódź, Poland, the housing market is characterized by a significant shortage of affordable housing and a high rate of overcrowding. Approximately 69% of the EU population owns their homes, but in Poland, this rate is even higher, with 95% of the population living in households owning their homes. Despite this, the city faces a housing crisis marked by a lack of available housing units and rising costs.
Łódź is one of the cities in Poland with the fewest rooms per person, averaging only 1.1 rooms per person, which contributes to the high overcrowding rate. The city's housing scarcity is exacerbated by the low rate of new housing completions, which is below 0.3% yearly, compared to other European countries like Poland and Austria, which have higher rates of new housing stock additions.
To address these issues, Łódź and other Polish cities are focusing on increasing the supply of affordable housing. This includes initiatives to build more social housing and implement rent regulations to make housing more accessible to the population. Additionally, there are efforts to support fair energy transitions and address the root causes of housing exclusion, as advocated by the Housing Europe manifesto.
Housing cooperatives in Łódź, Poland, play a significant role in addressing housing affordability and social inclusion. The city has a long history of cooperative housing, dating back to 1921, with two types of cooperatives: lodger cooperatives for rental properties and house-building cooperatives for property ownership.
In Łódź, housing cooperatives contribute to the public housing sector, which has been subject to residualization following market-based housing reforms. The cooperatives help maintain affordable housing options, especially for low-income households.
While specific data on the market share of housing cooperatives in Łódź is not provided, the city's public housing sector, which includes cooperatives, has been significant in the past. The city has seen efforts to revitalize and support cooperative housing through various initiatives and projects, although detailed information on new cooperatives emerging in recent years is not available.
The city promotes cooperative housing by supporting community-led housing models and public-private partnerships, which are crucial for maintaining affordable and sustainable housing options.