A Ukrainian Womanʼs Harsh Reality in Poland
Valeria Vinogradova, a Ukrainian from Mariupol who has lived in Krakow for six years, has described the mounting difficulties she faces when trying to buy a home in Poland. The sharp rise in property prices — driven by the COVID‑19 pandemic, soaring inflation, and the full‑scale war in Ukraine — now blocks many buyers, including her family, which lost everything in occupied Mariupol. For an English‑speaking audience, this story highlights how the ongoing housing affordability crisis in Poland disproportionately affects Ukrainian refugees who arrived with few resources.
In the past, 700,000 to 800,000 zloty could purchase a three‑bedroom apartment in Poland. Today, that same amount barely covers a small flat. Vinogradova recalls: “I was so naive. I thought we would work a little, save for a down payment, and buy an apartment. But after the pandemic, inflation, and the war, prices just shot through the roof.”
This situation has forced her to accept that she will only be able to own a home, if at all, once her children are grown. “For the last year I’ve been coming to terms with the idea that if I ever buy my own apartment, it will be when the kids are adults,” she says.
Hurdles in the Housing Market
Losing their home in Mariupol dealt a heavy blow to Vinogradovaʼs family, and the circumstances that displaced so many Ukrainians have only made rebuilding their lives in a new country harder. Fellow Ukrainians rally around her struggles because countless others face the same barrier on Polandʼs real estate market.
The Polish housing market reflects the broader economic turmoil that has engulfed many Ukrainians fleeing the war. The surge in home prices — a product of global economic shocks — threatens to derail the integration of Ukrainian refugees into Polish society. Such challenges do not affect only individual families; they also risk undermining social stability across the region.
The challenges faced by Ukrainian refugees in Poland extend beyond skyrocketing property prices. Recent changes in regulations have resulted in the loss of free housing for many displaced individuals, further complicating their efforts to establish stability. For a deeper understanding of how these new rules impact the lives of Ukrainian refugees, explore the latest developments in their housing situation.