Affordable Housing Finance in Uganda

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is the UN’s capital investment agency, focused on promoting investment in the public and private sectors to scale up innovative financing mechanisms for the world’s poorest people. UNCDF engaged a Capstone team to conduct extensive research on affordable housing finance models and study the feasibility of a pilot housing program in Uganda. The team visited the Ugandan cities of Gulu, Jinja, and Kampala to conduct fieldwork, attending city hall executive meetings, interviewing 25 key stakeholders—including central and local government staff, international organizations, nonprofits, and local residents—and visiting informal settlements and former housing projects. The team’s final report analyzed challenges to providing affordable housing in Uganda and provided strategic recommendations for increasing and sustaining access to affordable housing in both rural and urban settings.