INVEST and Partners Announce $274 Million in Financing for Affordable Housing Across West Africa
On March 9, the U.S. Government’s Prosper Africa announced a $274 million investment in affordable housing in West Africa. USAID INVEST support enabled partners MiDA Advisors and CrossBoundary to provide advisory services that prepared investee Caisse Régionale de Refinancement Hypothécaire (CRRH) for a global bond issuance, along with a credit guarantee from the U.S. Development Finance Corporation.
Read the full announcement via Prosper Africa here and a previous INVEST Medium blog on this work here.
Washington D.C., March 9, 2023 — Today, the U.S. Government’s Prosper Africa initiative announced the close of $274 million in long-term financing for West Africa’s rapidly growing housing sector. This landmark partnership with Bank of America Securities, Inc, Brean Capital, LLC, The Bank of New York Mellon, Togo’s Caisse Régionale de Refinancement Hypothécaire (CRRH), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) opens new opportunities for U.S. investment in Africa’s emerging markets and provides an avenue for West Africans to gain greater access to homeownership. MiDA Advisors served as the originator and lead transaction advisor on this landmark transaction.
This deal represents an innovative approach to mobilize transparent, market-oriented financing at scale and is expected to help about 6,000 households gain access to homeownership.
As part of Prosper Africa’s whole-of-government approach, USAID funded MiDA Advisors and CrossBoundary to provide advisory services that prepared CRRH for a global bond issuance, and DFC provided a credit guarantee, allowing investors to access an untapped market opportunity while meeting their risk profiles.
Through this transaction, for the first time, CRRH accessed cheaper, longer-term capital with a 17-year $217 million equivalent Eurobond that was issued via a U.S. trust alongside a local currency bond equivalent to $57 million for a total raise of $274 million from international and local institutional investors.
“Prosper Africa’s partnership with leading U.S. and African financial institutions signals increased U.S. investor interest in investing in African markets to meet the enormous demand for affordable housing in West Africa,” said Cameron Khosrowshahi, Senior Investment Advisor with Prosper Africa. “Our collaboration is a blended finance transaction that will catalyze investment at scale and create generational wealth through homeownership for thousands of people across West Africa.”
“DFC partners with the private sector to make impactful investments around the world, including in West Africa where affordable housing is a critical need,” said Jim Polan, DFC Vice President for the Office of Development Credit. “The agency is pleased to work with such a diverse group of investors, including colleagues from the U.S. Government on this important issue that will help provide affordable housing and bolster stability for thousands in the region.”
