Housing finance is a growing concern exacerbated by a lack of information

1.        In emerging market countries, a growing urban middle class exerts increasing political pressures to improve their access to formal sector housing in an environment where the proportion of households in informal and under-serviced areas remains stubbornly stable. There is a critical need to mobilize domestic resources through the scaling-up of housing finance systems. 

2.        Expanding housing finance systems require a dramatic increase in the number of housing finance professionals in a variety of institutions--public, private, non-governmental and academic. These professionals need information, not just on housing markets and finance systems in their own countries, but comparative information across countries.

3.        In countries with highly developed housing finance systems, current practices and policies are being reconsidered. The lack of a cross-country knowledge framework limits the discussion on alternative practices. Few U.S. housing experts know, for example, how European countries fund their mortgages.

4.        International development agencies and consulting firms need cross-country comparable information, over time, on the health and strength of housing finance systems and policies beyond some indicators of size and type of participating institutions. 

HOFINET intends to consolidate global housing finance information and knowledge jointly with its international partners, and to make it widely accessible.

1.        A standardized set of initial housing market, housing finance and policy measures that is tested internationally and can be expanded and adjusted over time.

2.        Housing finance laws and regulations for each country and pertinent research and consulting reports provided copyright laws allow posting.

3.        Short country assessments that focus on the unique features of each country’s system

4.        A data download and analysis capability to facilitate research.

5.        Up-to-date international housing sector scholarship through theme pages.

6.        An ongoing forum for discussion with international experts.