Haiti HOME Project: Start-up Activities and Stakeholder Meetings

The program seeks to address the country's housing deficit by offering financial products and services that cater to the needs of this target population. Key stakeholders in the financial, private, and public sectors have been engaged in meetings to introduce the HOME Facility and explore potential partnerships. Meetings with institutions such as the OFFICE NATIONALE D'ASSURANCE (ONA) and Le Levier, Haiti's only federation of credit unions, have been conducted to discuss the HOME program's objectives and potential collaborations. ONA has expressed interest in partnering with HOME, but technical assistance will be required to develop a financial model for affordable housing in Haiti. Le Levier has also shown interest in partnering with HOME, given its experience in housing finance and its reach in rural areas. The HOME team has also met with other key stakeholders, including DIG (Fund USAID OPIC) INVESTMENT-MICRO, JPHRO, and the ASSOCIATION NATIONALE DES INSTITUTIONS DE MICRO FINANCE D'HAITI (ANIHM). These meetings have highlighted the challenges of building houses for the target population, with developers and financial institutions citing difficulties in meeting the required affordability standards. As a result of these meetings, the HOME team has identified the need to revise the Facility's inclusiveness and adjust its target population. Recommendations include providing technical assistance to ONA to develop a financial model for affordable housing in Haiti. Upcoming actions include finalizing the Year 1 Work Plan, Facility Manual, and Expression of Interest and RFP. Informational workshops will be held for potential partners on facility mechanisms, and the facility will be launched through a public expression of interest notice. Performance management actions include creating a follow-up plan to work with each stakeholder invited to the launch and workshop, finalizing the M&E Plan, and setting up expected results for Q1 FY16. The HOME program aims to address the housing deficit in Haiti by providing affordable housing solutions to low- to moderate-income households, and these meetings have laid the groundwork for its successful implementation.