Sharpening the Bank's Capacity to Support the Housing Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean: Background Paper for the Implementation of the Social Development Strategy

The Bank expanded its housing finance activities in the 1990s, shifting its support toward sector reforms that increase the capacity of housing finance and delivery mechanisms to cater to the needs of low-income households. The present publication examines Bank experience in housing, draws lessons for the design and implementation of new operations and identifies future areas for development. This report is intended to assist government and Bank officials in the identification and design of housing sector operations. The Social Pro-grams Division hopes that this publication will contribute to the improvement of housing conditions in Latin America, especially those of the poor and excluded.