EN
Since the beginning of economic transition responsibility of satisfying housing needs of local communities was transferred to municipalities. To fulfill their duties local governments maintain and manage housing stock which includes: dwellings for low income households, social dwellings, replacement dwellings and temporary living quarters. However a process of municipal withdrawing from housing sector can be observed. Extensive privatization of municipal housing stock raises a number of reservations. The pace of privatization and its scale threatens a balance between the public and private sector, enables entering the market of “owners without money” – people with low awareness of the costs of ownership. In long term it threatens the functioning of housing sector. The main aim of the article is to evaluate the form, scale and course of privatization of municipal housing stock. Local determinants and consequences of housing privatization in the City of Lodz were presented.