Affordable Housing Finance

Access to decent shelter is a basic need. It is the first target of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030: making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. This goal must be backed-up with an adequate financing for housing. Therefore, the provision of appropriate financial services is instrumental to improve the living conditions in many countries.

To promote housing finance, IAS has been engaged in institution and capacity-building programmes for several years. We define housing finance broadly, ranging from housing microfinance to mortgage lending, the provision of affordable housing to the promotion of energy efficiency in residential buildings.

Our main working areas include:

Housing Finance core working areas

Training services

The provision of training courses across a large range of topics is another crucial part of our services. Classroom and digital workshops, as well as on-the-job training and coaching sessions are the most important training methods we use.

We also offer the following microfinance topics within our Development Finance Academies:

The Frankfurt School Development Finance e-Campus has become a very successful e-learning tool for professionals interested in housing finance.

Research

We design and conduct market and feasibility studies, as well as housing finance sector reviews. This includes reviews and the evaluation of options for implementing financial instruments and structures in the sector.

Training

Training is offered in the form of classroom and on-the-job training. Furthermore, to promote knowledge in the housing finance sector, we offer an annual executive education course called the Housing Finance Summer Academy.

Capacity building

Our services include the development of sound lending practices, such as customer counselling; loan origination and marketing; underwriting; servicing and collections; recoveries; and risk management. This is done according to international best practices that are based on quality standards for mortgage lending and the EU directive on residential lending.

Product development

We assist lending institutions to design home-improvement and acquisition products that meet the needs of their customers. We combine these products with savings features to support the accumulation of capital or with elements of energy efficiency to promote sustainable construction. Products are designed to support responsible lending and customer protection, as well as to promote lending in the local currency at fixed interest rates.

Programme design

We provide guidance at the policy level on the regulatory aspects of housing finance. Other focus areas include the development of appropriate long-term funding structures through the set-up of liquidity facilities and mortgage corporations, the improvement of legal frameworks, consumer protection, affordable housing solutions, etc.