ToR: Chronicling Household Level Housing Investment in Uganda

With the aim of stimulating the development of housing finance instruments that are more responsive to household needs, resources and spending habits, the Center for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF) launched its Housing Investment Chronicles (HIC) project in November 2016. Stimulating investment in the housing and housing finance sector requires an in-depth understanding of the way households themselves invest in housing. The HIC uses qualitative research methods to chronicle the housing investment strategies of low-income households in Uganda. The research aims to build an investment profile of these households by answering key questions around time, financing, housing typology, land and title, investment priorities and key barriers to accessing housing finance. The proposed research builds on the research of the Financial Diaries by asking for accounts from households on their housing in a manner that accounts for longer-term investment. The research will chart each household’s housing investments along a timeline, drawing on the framework of the housing delivery value chain.

RESEARCH GOAL

The overall goal of the research is to facilitate down market penetration of affordable housing finance packages that are responsive to the ways in which households invest in their housing.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

The research aims at chronicling the personal housing investment journeys of participants over time. It will draw on the personal stories of respondents to inform targeted recommendations to decision-makers in both the public and private sphere. The specific objectives of the research relate to four thematic area.

• The Housing Investment Decision: Under this theme the research aims to,
• map household income sources and quantify average household incomes;
• map the various financial instruments, processes and institutions used by low and middle-income households and;
• log the household-level housing investments made over time
• Securing Land: Under this theme the research aims to,
• log both the formal and informal steps/processes taken to secure land for housing over time; and
• develop a list of formal and informal institutions used to access land for housing
• the Housing Construction Process: Under this theme the research aims to,
• log the steps/processes followed to construct a house; and
• map both the formal and informal institutions used to construct a house
• Financing the Housing Investment: Under this theme the research aims to,
• log the steps/processes followed to finance housing; and
• map both the formal and informal institutions used to finance a house

Call for proposals

The Centre for Affordable Housing Finance (CAHF) seeks to appoint a local implementing agency (LIA) to carry out it’s Housing Investment Chronicles project in Uganda. The LIA will be responsible for designing and implementing a qualitative research project that chronicles the investments made by low income households in their housing. In addition, the LIA will be responsible for producing consumer education material related to access to housing finance in Uganda. Project deliverables include, but are not limited to,

1. Household survey data and investment chronicles (micro-case studies): Interviews will be organized into a collection of case studies that ‘chronicle’ the investment decisions of each household. These chronicles can be defined as data rich stories on the investment journeys of each respondent.
2. Housing Investment Chronicles Dissemination strategy: a comprehensive dissemination strategy will be designed to facilitate the development of appropriate policies, products and services that meet the actual needs of housing investors.
3. Research paper on Household Level Housing Investments in Uganda: The research paper will draw key learnings from the household surveys to identify opportunities for more targeted investment in housing and housing finance packages for low and middle-income households. In addition, the report will outline key barriers to accessing housing finance amongst these households.
4. Infographic/motion graphic materials: Data from the household surveys will be used to create data rich visuals on household level housing investment decisions in Uganda. These will be integrated into various country level activities.
5. Housing finance/mortgage access toolkit (consumer education): A key objective of the research is to identify barriers to accessing housing finance in the formal market. This includes access to both public and private housing finance packages. The research project will therefore develop a housing finance access toolkit that maps the procedures that households need to follow to access existing housing finance packages. This will provide prospective buyers with a clear benchmark for how accessible or inaccessible the current housing finance packages are to them instead of them speculating around this. The toolkit will include a checklist of eligibility criteria and suggest ways in which households can incrementally access finance that is most appropriate to their resource needs. This toolkit will be offered to interview respondents as a form of knowledge exchange.Proposals due by 12 noon (SAST), 22 December 2017, by email to Raisa ColeFor more information, contact Raisa Coleraisa@housingfinanceafrica.orglandline +27 (0) 11 447 9581 (ext 103)

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