Ivory Coast shelter and urban development project

The National Urban Land Development Company (SETU) will be the principal implementing agency. The program"s major elements are: (1) construction by private contractors of 4,500 urban lots; and (2) provision of 4,500 small loans to be used by beneficiaries to purchase lots and to finance construction materials and other costs. The loan system, which will be administered by private banks, will be a first initiative under a national social housing finance program to be administered by the National Social Housing Fund (NSHF). Construction costs, implementing fees, and foreign exchange risks have been factored into the costs to beneficiaries and will be recovered in the mortgage payments under the loan program. User fees will permit cost recovery of small market sites. Land titles will be granted to all beneficiaries according to existing government standards. An A.I.D. grant will finance long- and short-term TA to help constitute the NSHF, assist SETU and other participating agencies in project implementation, and to reinforce A.I.D. policy initiatives. The HG will reinforce recent policy initiatives of the Ivory Coast, including: cost recovery through user charges and taxation; the use of small Ivorian construction firms; provision of land tenure; equitable beneficiary selection; and the adoption of lower technical standards to increase affordability.