The need for a dwelling is one of the basic needs of every human being. The housing policy, which belongs to one of the pillars of the social policy of the state, is responsible for satisfying this need. It is carried both at the central and local level. The report aims to show the evolution of this policy in Poland from 1989, when the burden of providing housing to the society was largely shifted to the private sector, to the present times, when the state is starting to take action to solve the problem of housing shortages for the less prosperous part of society. First, housing resources are characterized in terms of their ownership and function. Then, the housing policy, its objectives and instruments are described in theoretical terms. The competences of communes in the fi eld of housing economy are characterised in further part. The diagnosis of housing condition in Poland is presented in the regional context and compared to other countries. The last parts of the report deal with the assessment of housing policy in Poland after 1989 on the national and local level. Based on this assessment, recommendations have been made regarding the directions of activities at the local and supra-local level in the area of improving the condition of housing in Poland. Special emphasis in recommendations is placed on the need for an integrated approach to the implementation of housing policy.