NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, January 28, 2010

The FINANCIAL — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is working with key stakeholders including government, regulatory bodies, private sector developers, and financiers to help make affordable housing available for low- and middle-income populations in India.

“As part of this initiative, National Housing Bank and IFC are hosting a two-day conference that started today on Affordable Housing and Housing Finance for government officials, regulators, financiers, bankers, housing specialists, and developers. Issues relating to pro-poor housing initiatives, alternate approaches to affordable housing, and the role of government in securitization of low-income housing are the key themes being discussed,” IFC informed.

Estimates indicate that more than 14 percent of South Asians have no home or live in inadequate housing such as urban slums and squatter settlements. While the region’s housing and housing finance markets are dynamic, they are limited in their outreach, catering primarily to upper-income groups.