In 2017, new initiatives and programmes in the field of social housing management were launched.

Pilot Social Housing Programme with Training Support

The programme was launched in 2017 to provide various forms of support tailored to the needs of people and families at risk of social exclusion for housing reasons. It is a nationally innovative programme in which the provision of social support was for the first time successfully combined with the obligation to provide a social flat by the municipality. This solution gives tenants the opportunity to become independent within a shorter time, while the City is confident that the tenant offered self-contained flat will be able to maintain it.

The programme is an important instrument of the multi-stage housing policy pursued by the City of Poznań, which provides for gradual accomplishment of the expected level of satisfying housing needs. It is also supposed to ensure a smooth flow of beneficiaries of housing assistance, by moving from a homeless shelter to self-contained flat.

Municipal Lease Bureau

The launch of the Municipal Lease Bureau (MLB) programme, based on the concept of social rental agencies, was another innovation introduced in 2017. Poznań was the first city in Poland to undertake such activity. The programme is implemented by Zarząd Komunalnych Zasobów Lokalowych Sp. z o.o (Municipal Housing Stock Authority).

The programme will cover families and people whose income is too low to rent a flat or buy one in the open market, that have applied to the City for a social flat, but have scored too few points to obtain it.

The Municipal Lease Bureau leases, from private owners, flats to further let them to those waiting for housing assistance from the municipal resources of the City of Poznań. As part of its operation, the City of Poznań will be able to conclude agreements on more favourable financial terms than the standard rent rates applicable in the market. The City will also be a guarantor in terms of the durability and stability of the lease relation and regular payments. After termination of the lease, the owner will receive the premises in a condition suitable for further use.

An owner cooperating with the Municipal Lease Bureau will not have to handle the lease issues, find a tenant, verify its payment capacity or enforce any overdue payments, and will not have to deal with issues relating to vacating the premises. The whole process will be handled by the Municipal Lease Bureau, which also guarantees a smooth and stable course of the agreement’s implementation.

Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the City of Poznań for interventions in tenants’ issues

The position of the Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the City of Poznań for interventions in tenants’ issues has been established to:

take justified interventions to protect tenants’ right
support tenants in their legitimate expectations towards the City of Poznań regarding the rental of premises
assist tenants in dealing with landlords and with external institutions (law enforcement agencies, courts, bailiffs, utility providers).

Housing policy of the City of Poznań for 2017-2027

On 5 December 2017, by Resolution No. LVIII/1095/VII/2017 of the Poznań City Council, the Housing Policy of the City of Poznań for 2017-2027 was adopted. This document reflects the needs and presents strategic goals and directions of actions in the area of housing development, taking into account various forms of investing in the city, and constitutes a framework for further actions to be taken by the City in the area of housing policy for the next 10 years.

Issues covered by the housing policy include:

planned instruments of the housing policy of the City of Poznań (addressed to the poorest and low-income people, middle- and higher-income people, as well as seniors)
priority areas for housing development in the City
objectives of the housing policy
system of implementing the housing policy.

Rules for renting premises that are part of the housing stock of the City of Poznań

In 2017, by Resolution No. LVIII/1092/VII/2017 of the Poznań City Council, Resolution No. XXX/443/VII/2016 of the Poznań City Council regarding the rules of renting premises that are part of the housing stock of the City of Poznań was amended. The changes included, e.g. introduction of entries regarding:

the order in which vacant, self-contained premises with an area of over 80 m2 are rented
income criteria authorising to conclude a rental agreement for a social and municipal flat
exchange of flats
scoring in the point sheet attached to the resolution.

The changes introduced in the resolution will allow for an objective assessment of the applicant’s situation, and result from the need to clarify the previously applicable provisions in the context of the changing situation of the applicants.
The resolution extended the group of beneficiaries of assistance by increasing the income criterion for old age pensioners, those living on a pre-retirement benefit as well as a benefit due to permanent incapacity for work and independent existence, which is in line with the senior-friendly policy.