A foreign woman’s family (six people, including an 11-year-old child and a pregnant woman) had been renting an apartment on Piaskowa Street in Bolesławiec for almost 11 months. They were behind on payments, but on July 19 the woman paid the property owner PLN 2,500 in rent and settled part of the arrears. The gas charges were supposed to be divided into installments.

Despite this, on Monday, July 22, in the morning, the gas supply to the family’s apartment was disconnected. In the afternoon, the migrants received a message from the property owner saying they had three days to vacate the premises. The foreign woman contacted a lawyer, who told her that the agreement was valid and that the landlord should have served notice.

The family received another message ordering them to leave the 62-square-meter apartment. It also mentioned changing the door locks and disconnecting the electricity. Finally, on Wednesday, July 24, all of the family’s belongings were carried out in front of the building, and all its members left the apartment because new tenants had moved in.

Night fell, and the six-member family was left homeless.

The police patrol called to the scene arranged help for the family, although it was not easy (the mother, despite having all the necessary permits, was unjustifiably afraid that she would be deported from Poland with her children). The police provided the family with shelter in the waiting room at the station, as the temperature outside was below 15 degrees. Within a few hours, the police managed to determine who would take care of the people evicted onto the street.

“Under the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine in Connection with the Armed Conflict on the Territory of that Country, the Lower Silesian Voivode, through the Bolesławiec County Governor, is responsible for providing accommodation to refugees from Ukraine staying within the city of Bolesławiec. There are two accommodation facilities in Bolesławiec run and supervised by the County Office. The case of the Ukrainian family, reported by the police on July 25, was, in accordance with the relevant jurisdiction, referred to employees of the Bolesławiec County Office,” informs Robert Rzepnicki, deputy mayor of Bolesławiec.

The County Office employees responded and helped. The family found shelter at the county facility on Tysiąclecia Avenue.

We know that the family has already found two apartments, to which its members have moved.