approaches. The first method was an empirical examination of local household income

based on personal income tax filings of approximately one third of the city's population,

received from the administrative records of the Fiscal District 1 Tax Office. The second

was an analysis of aggregate income generated from employment, pension, disability

payments, and unemployment compensation to workers and residents of Szczecin.

Once the survey findings were positively verified, a more in depth analysis was

conducted of supply side options and further correlations were tabulated to answer specific

questions on effective demand posed by the city team. One flaw in the survey was the

failure to clearly ascertain unit owners' use of mortgage credit to finance their current

housing; this could be corrected with additional questions.

#

Sopot.

  Sopot conducted a survey of all residents in its targeted revitalization

areas to assess housing conditions, resident satisfaction with their housing and

neighborhood, issues requiring change, interest in moving, income level, and willingness

(and conditions for) participation in the revitalization strategy; 750 persons were

interviewed.

#

Gdynia.

  Gdynia collected information to support USAID's efforts to build local

government capacity in city development and information management and analysis.  This

cooperation was designed to develop a database of demographic and economic

information and indicators in order to conduct analyses and make projections of local

economic, demographic, and real estate conditions.  Areas of analysis include economic

productivity, investment patterns, and profitability by type of ownership, growth sectors in

the emerging private sector, trade patterns, population growth trends, employment, and

land and building utilization patterns by sector and location.  Interestingly, Gdynia

combined information from numerous sources, including VUS and GUS, Voivod labor

offices, the port of Gdynia, the Chamber of Commerce, public utilities, and local

businesses.

#

Ostrow Wielkopolski.

  Under USAID's Pilot Local Government Program, Ostrow

developed a Housing Monitoring System, designed to provide city planners with access

to housing data.  Eight separate spreadsheets of data are included: basic indicators on

housing occupancy and land, demographic indicators, income (based on municipal tax

returns), housing stock by type, new construction, social welfare indicators, real estate

transactions, and housing finance.  Data can be added over time as they become

available. The data collected to date are all from secondary sources, including GUS, VUS,

the Ostrow tax office, local banks, local construction firms, the WZGM (the Municipal

Housing Management Company), and private developers and real estate agencies.  The

data are designed to support analyses of housing stock management, construction, land

use, infrastructure, and social safety net issues.

In summary, further development of housing related databases by gminas can be

expected, as local governments become increasingly active in urban planning and

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