A demonstration co-operative housing project in Warsaw showing new organisational, technological and policy approaches to the provision of attractive and affordable housing. Eighty families have joined together to pool their resources and provide themselves with new homes. The families were involved in the design process and all dwellings are capable of extension at a later date. Labour intensive technology is used in the construction rather than industrialised methods, thus helping to ease unemployment in the local construction industry. The size of dwelling units range from 100 – 120 m2 and the total cost is just over $30,000 per dwelling unit which is met entirely by private funds, with the exception of a small state grant towards the infrastructure in the project. An innovative housing finance system enables families to obtain credit who were not able to do so before.

Partnership

NGO, private sector, local government