LOW INCOME HOUSING

NHA will implement the project under USAID and RHUDO/Abidjan monitoring. With the help of AID-funded consultant assistance, NHA will develop a national housing policy to provide for a long-range, comprehensive approach to both urban and rural shelter problems. The policy will be adjusted in accordance with the demonstration program to be undertaken in the course of the project. The institutional capability of the NHA to carry out low-income housing programs will be strengthened by the provision of three resident U.S. technicians to assist NHA in the areas of project management, credit and collection systems, financial and loan procedures, personnel selection, project design, construction techniques, self-help methods, and community development; as well as provision of short-term technicians in hydraulics, health, employment generation, cost recovery mechanisms, and sanitary engineering. NHA will design and implement a demonstration shelter program for 9,000 low-income families in metropolitan Monrovia. Over 1,775 serviced sites with small expandable houses will be provided in two large projects and in several small projects on scattered sites in low-income communities. In addition, over 4,950 low-income families will benefit from the provision of community upgrading services such as water, electricity, storm and sanitary sewers, graded access streets, markets, schools, and health centers. Finally, more than 3,900 small loans will be made to residents to complete, expand, or improve their homes, using self-help methods, or to acquire title to land already occupied. NHA will be assisted in completing a socio-economic survey of the demonstration areas in developing a proposal for the program to deliver socio-economic services to these areas and in designing an intensive program evaluation system.