Abstract
Within the Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Metropolitan Area (GGS MA) one can find both housing estates offering excellent living conditions and wide access to the associated infrastructure, as well as those that fall into the low housing standard category. Low standards take different forms depending on where they occur – the core or the functional zone. The unfavourable situation in the housing market does not prevent residents from buying substandard housing; there is a belief among residents that they need to invest capital in property, most often for investment purposes. As a research method, a survey was used to determine the opinion of GGS MA residents on the standards in their places of residence, as well as interviews with experts and representatives of local authorities. The aim of this study was to analyse in depth the problem of low housing standards in new housing developments and to identify solutions that could prevent them from occurring, which would contribute to increasing the living conditions of residents in highly urbanised areas, smaller towns and villages.