According to Zandberg, this initiative, which aims to support first-time homebuyers with subsidized loans, is likely to aggravate the housing crisis rather than alleviate it.
Development and Technology Minister Krzysztof Hetman had announced the program earlier this week, with a budget of PLN 500 million, set to begin in mid-year. The program intends to provide financial assistance to individuals up to the age of 35 and sets income criteria for eligibility.
Zandberg, however, argues that the program's approach is flawed and counterproductive. He believes that the subsidies will primarily benefit major developers and result in increased housing prices. Zandberg opposes the idea of subsidized loans, which, he says, is benefiting banks and developers more than the actual homebuyers and is a “waste of public money.”
Zandberg instead proposes an alternative approach to the housing crisis. He suggests that the Polish government should focus on building several hundred thousand public housing units, as this would be the only effective way to lower housing prices on the market. “To stop the housing crisis, 1 percent of GDP needs to be spent annually. Without this, housing will continue to be out of reach for most young people,” he told state news agency PAP.
Source: PAP