HOUSING

closed

The project objectives are: (a) to complete and put on the market a substantial share of the unfinished rental housing; (b) establish the National Housing Agency as an effective factor of change during the transition period; and (c) to broaden the role of private sector operators in housing supply (investors, brokers, bankers, contractors and suppliers). The project components consist of: (i) the International Development Agency (IDA) completing construction of public housing projects that were previously interrupted due to lack of funds. Financing will be limited to buildings which are not occupied, have clear title and can be conveyed, and can be sold upon completion to individual households under condominium plans; (ii) the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) granting US$1.5 million to finance consultants, studies and training to the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Territorial Planning (MOC) and the National Housing Agency (NHA). Technical assistance will also be provided to MOC for reforms in sector policies, removing regulatory constraints, managing and developing new instruments and institutions, and finally technical assistance to NHA consisting of hands-on advice for preparing and appraising subprojects, costing land and new construction, tendering and reviewing bids for construction, creating contracts, defining terms of sale for new units, invoicing and collecting payments, developing banking and accounting techniques.