Housing is a right, not a commodity

The event is an integral part of the initiative Challenges for Social Democracy, which will feature three events in Włocławek (24/06), Kielce (30/06) and Dąbrowa Górnicza (01/07), which are respectively devoted to three themes: Housing (Włocławek), Future of Work and Work/Life Balance (Kielce) and Intergenerational Solidarity (Dąbrowa Górnicza).

The concept is designed to improve the programmatic debate on the Centre-Left in Poland, enable the exchange of best practices and provide high-quality training. All of these are essential contributions to strengthening progressive forces, and by extension, to providing a further boost to the discussion about alternatives and ways of improving deliberative democracy in the country.

Włocławek was chosen for the event because of its social housing project that is led by the Vice-President of the city, Krzysztof Kukucki. Poland is experiencing a severe housing crisis, despite the constitutional right to affordable housing for all. Poland’s young people are among the worst affected in Europe, with salaries that do not allow them to pay rent (around 70% of young adults under 30 still have to live with their parents).

Among the speakers:

• Krzysztof Kukucki, Deputy Mayor of the City of Włocławek, Poland
• Konrad Gołota, Adviser on Central and Eastern European Parties, Party of European Socialists
• Veronika Iwanowski, International Affairs of Wiener Wohnen
• Anna Mackiewicz, Vice-President of Nowa Lewica
• Jan Szopinski, Member of Parliament, Nowa Lewica, Poland
• Kamil Trepka, Housing policy, Nowa Lewica, Poland
• Maciej Gdula, Member of Parliament, Poland
• Paulina Nowak, Social policy expert, Lewica Razem
• Peter Scheffer, Trainer, Foundation Max van der Stoel
• Isabella Jandl, Head of Advisory Department of Wiener Wohnen
• Elena Gil, FEPS Training and Project Coordinator
• Aleksandra Iwanowska, International Secretary of Federacja Młodych Socjaldemokratów and Bureau Member of Young European Socialists

For more information, please contact Elena Gil, FEPS Training and Project Coordinator (elena.gil@feps-europe.eu)