The need for a dwelling is one of the basic needs of every human being. The housing policy, which belongs to one of the pillars of the social policy of the state, is responsible for satisfying this need. It is carried both at the central and local level. The report aims to show the evolution of this policy in Poland from 1989, when the burden of providing housing to the society was largely shifted to the private sector, to the present times, when the state is starting to take action to solve the problem of housing shortages for the less prosperous part of society. First, housing resources are characterized in terms of their ownership and function. Then, the housing policy, its objectives and instruments are described in theoretical terms. The competences of communes in the fi eld of housing economy are characterised in further part. The diagnosis of housing condition in Poland is presented in the regional context and compared to other countries. The last parts of the report deal with the assessment of housing policy in Poland after 1989 on the national and local level. Based on this assessment, recommendations have been made regarding the directions of activities at the local and supra-local level in the area of improving the condition of housing in Poland. Special emphasis in recommendations is placed on the need for an integrated approach to the implementation of housing policy.

Housing resources as an element of material infrastructure determine socio-economic development on a local, regional and national scale. Their economic and physical accessibility affects the development of human, social and relational capital, determines the competitiveness of the territory and can be seen as a generator of income both in the individual sense and in relation to the whole society. The article has a theoretical character and its aim is to identify the relationship between satisfying the housing needs of local communities and the development of territorial capital. The article also analyzes factors that allow the qualification of housing resources as a strategic resource for the development of a territory.

Public Supply of Rental Housing under The National Housing Program – Possible Scenarios of Changes in the Rental Market. The aim of the study is to conduct analyzes of possible scenarios of changes in the housing sector after launching the Plus Apartment Program. Therefore, the purpose of housing policy should be to increase the availability of apartments in the form of rental. The research problem is the answer to the following questions: Is it feasible to intervene in the construction market to increase rental supply? What impact on the private rental market may have on the supply of public housing about the rent lower than the market? What impact can the supply of housing under the Plus Apartment Program on the investment and rental of housing for social building society? In which municipalities and on what scale should I implement the Plus Apartment Program? The study hypothesized that the impact of the public supply of apartments for rent under the Plus Apartment Program on residential markets will depend on local conditions of market development and local housing situation.