Cameroon and UN-Habitat open talks on housing finance as deficit hits 2.5 million units

Cameroon has opened talks with UN-Habitat on financial mechanisms that could turn part of its housing need into effective demand, as the country confronts a deficit estimated at 2.5 million homes. The discussions were held in Yaounde on September 8, 2026, between Economy, Planning and Regional Development Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach.

"We also discussed financing and how appropriate financial mechanisms can transform social needs into concrete demand, for example to address the 2.5 million housing-unit deficit here in Cameroon," Rossbach said after the meeting.

The talks covered two distinct needs: financing investment in housing construction, and helping households finance home purchases. Both generally require capital that can be repaid over long periods to spread costs between developers and buyers. The government did not specify which mechanisms it is considering, or how funding could be divided among public resources, bank lending, private investors and international partners.

Eligibility conditions for households, potential public guarantees and financing arrangements for social housing also remain to be determined. UN-Habitat did not announce any direct financing, offering instead its expertise to help design financial mechanisms, structure programmes and mobilise financial partners.

Land availability was another major part of the discussions, with Rossbach stressing the need to make land available for affordable housing construction and the development of informal neighbourhoods. The two sides also discussed local building materials and urban planning. No housing production target, development site or specific real estate programme was presented, and the meeting opens a phase of technical cooperation rather than a funding package.